Because I've fallen
by kNOrdinarylauren25
Summary: My take on the story between Alex & Jo! It also contains a lot of other main characters as well. Be as honest as you would like. I have a lot planned for this. Hope you all enjoy! The expected is just the beginning. The unexpected is what changes our lives. ;)
1. Chapter 1

Alex and Jo were standing in one of the, already notorious, elevators of Grey-Sloan and were headed down to check on the little boy whose life they had just saved. It was such a miraculous feeling for Jo, she was giddy and excited, and was practically jumping up and down, squealing like a little girl.

Alex, although having had many over-whelming glorious moments like this before, could not help but being just as ecstatic and giddy. This moment, with Jo, made it that much more wonderful for him.

He could not help but bask in Jo's beauty and he could not help but want to give into the flustering feelings he was having that were telling him to wrap her in his arms and kiss her until it hurt.

"Damn you Christina" He cursed underneath his breath. He had tried ignoring his feelings for Jo all along but admitting them to Christina made them that more real.

Plus there was Chest freaking Peckwell, Jo's boyfriend, who everyone seemed to love except him! He got all the wrong vibes from that guy and he definitely hated him more for the fact that he had the courage to ask Jo out before he did.

But Alex knew that he and Jo were closer than she and Peckwell and so he tried convincing his voice to speak what he knew his heart was feeling.

He quickly glared over at Jo and he wanted so badly to tell her everything about how he felt. But he did not get the chance because all of a sudden the elevator went dark and shook pretty hard causing her to crash into the wall and then suddenly land on top of him.

And as quickly as it happened, it was over, the shaking had stopped and the lights quickly flickered back on.

"What the hell was that?" Jo softly and cautiously breathed still lying exactly where she had landed. Not sure of what to do, she enjoyed the moment for if only the few seconds she knew it would last.

Alex lied there also, not knowing, if he was more shaken by the sudden mini elevator quake or more shaken by the beat of his fast pacing heart realizing the love of his life was now wrapped in his arms.

They were both momentarily stunned and neither of them wanted to move anyway but they knew they had to.

"Here let me help you" Alex then insisted with a hint of demand in his voice when he saw that Jo must have hit her head pretty hard because she had a tiny line of blood trickling down her face.

Even though it was not too serious, he felt the instinct need to take care of her. Jo let him take her hand and help her to her feet but she had always been Miss Independent so when Alex was so seemingly worried about the blood on her face she kept insisting she was fine.

And of course Alex completely ignored her and was still trying to examine her more thoroughly to make sure for himself but he could not get Jo to focus or sit still for a single second.

The situation had finally hit her and Jo's nerves were rattling at the fact they were stuck in an elevator! If she had to pick one person to be stuck in an elevator with, it would be the one person stuck with her at this very moment she considered rather quickly but she just as quickly lost control of that thought because she hated small places and she hated the feeling of being trapped.

She was sure she was having an anxiety attack and the last thing she wanted to do was pass out in front of Alex. She figured there would be no telling what nickname he would come with for her after that.

Alex watched her humorlessly though. And although he could tell she was really about to freak out, he couldn't help but be enchanted with her for a moment. Because he knew he was about to do exactly what he needed, and well really rather wanted, to get her to relax and because she was just so damn beautiful.

He realized he had to do something now though as he watched her increasing frustrations. She was so Jo though because she was so head strong, hell bent, and determined when her mind was set on something because when he descended towards her and placed a hand on her shoulder, it was almost as if he wasn't even there.

"Jo" he tried. "Jo…JO!" Alex was practically screaming out her name. But he really wasn't screaming at all, his voice was level and she had never heard him say her name in that particular tone, and so she finally quit rambling, stood still, and tried to look at him for… a second.

But within that second, Alex stepped closer to her which caused her heart to race a million times faster and not he or she broke eye contact. He was now standing merely inches away from her face staring her straight in the eyes.

And either she was already there or somehow she had been stepping backwards without realizing it because she had no idea he had her pinned in the elevator corner until he stepped even closer and placed both his hands on her hips in an attempt to keep her calm.

She let out a slight gasp but her nerves were a wreck and so they started to take over when she realized he had her cornered and there was nothing she could do about it.

But she was with Alex and she was trying not to let the instinct need to protect herself take over and so she just closed her eyes and tried to think of anything but her past and current fears.

Alex tried soothing her "Jo, you have to breathe, look at me!" But her breathing was still heavy and rapid.

Jo glanced back up at his eyes though and instantly they became locked. It felt as if she had been looking at him forever. She just felt so content staring into his eyes. And although she hated being trapped, she suddenly did not feel like Alex was trapping her at all right now.

She kept reminding her self that Alex was merely trying to calm her down so she would not freak herself out to the point of actually dying in this elevator. But she didn't have to keep repeating it to herself because she listened to the sound of his voice that conveyed to her that he truly cared.

And it started to comfort her a little.

"Why here of all places" Jo questioned the irony. All she wanted to do was close her eyes and imagine this taking place somewhere else over much more different circumstances.

Then just as she started to close her eyes again Alex spoke, "Hey, nuh uh, none of that, look at me Jo"

"Jo, look at me" he tried again as he tilted her chin up a little.

Jo then opened her eyes and although Alex was just trying to get her to breathe, his piercing eyes were aiding in taking her breath away.

She looked at him though, God how she never wanted to not look at him.

Jo always wondered why she told him everything. But now she knew, he was her best friend, her reassurance, possibly her everything. There was nothing she did not trust him with.

Alex was the only one she let in on about her past. Alex was the only one she trusted to get her through this moment in the present. And out of everyone in her life, Alex was the only one she could see sticking around in her future. He was her only one.

She challenged her mind and her heart asking herself how come she just could not admit to him how she had started to feel. That was all she kept replaying until she came out of her thoughts realizing Alex was no longer saying anything but just staring at her too.

Jo stood there trying to penetrate her own thoughts.

She wished she was a mind reader because she definitely wanted to know how crazy he thought she really was.

Alex stood there trying to penetrate his own thoughts.

He wished he was a mind reader because he definitely wanted to know how crazy she thought he really was.

She felt so right, he thought!

He felt so right, she thought!

It just felt right, period.

Jo had almost forgotten that they were stuck in an elevator until a sudden jolt shook the elevator once more. Her mind was about to go into a blunder once again but Alex had it under control this time.

He closed the already little gap between them and placed both his arms around her and against the wall to try and hold them both in place and to keep them from being thrashed around.

And even though, Alex's arms were plenty enough reassurance to Jo that she was safe! She didn't seem to mind when another jolt came out of nowhere causing him to instinctively descend his body even closer.

Two more violent thrashes and Jo was no longer just standing there unsure of what to do or hold onto. Between the first and the second jolt, she let her body gravitate completely around Alex's like a cocoon.

And with that came another jolt, the scariest of them all, and when it finally subsided Jo opened her eyes to see Alex staring at her with a concerned look on his face.

The silence had yet to become unnerving though because neither had still yet to say anything.

This is when they both came to realize the position in which they were now in. Jo had her legs straddled around Alex's waist and her arms were wrapped tightly around his neck.

Alex had been using his hands and arms to protect Jo's head and his body which was pressed so firmly in between her thighs holding her firmly against the wall, to protect…well, everything else!

And Jo could not describe it in any other way, she felt protected and safe.

Still in the same position, she then heard Alex whisper "Just Breathe and look at me!" so she then, once again, met Alex's eyes with hers.

Jo couldn't explain the feeling but she knew her heart was hammering inside her chest.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you, I promise" he continued in a level voice that was now barely a whisper.

If anyone else was in there with them, not even they would have heard!

"Promise?" is all Jo could manage to muster out.

Alex blatantly let out a devilish handsomely smile and with that said "I promise, Jo!"

It was then Alex lifted his hand and placed it gently on her face. He slightly traced his finger along her hairline where the cut was at.

Jo couldn't explain the feeling but she now knew that her heart had to of been hammering outside her chest.

Shivers radiated throughout her entire body. Alex's touch was so soft, sweet, and sensitive. Like nothing she had ever felt before. But it was when his fingers fell below the cut and began tracing the length of her jawline that she was sure she was going to lose all control. She had goose bumps that ran from the tip of her head to the tip of her toes.

Jo was so confused though, she knew Alex was her Best Friend and she hoped that he would always be there for her just like now.

But this, this was different.

The way he was caressing her, looking at her, this was definitely different! She was looking directly into his eyes but it was as if she could see right through them. She had never seen him with look on his face with anyone, especially, not all the googly eyed interns.

She was certain she was seeing pure passion and desire aimed directly toward her.

Hell, there was no one else there!

But how, when, he couldn't possibly? Jo let the questions and more than that, the doubts, consume her. Although everything in her felt the exact same way, it scared the hell out of her. She would have never imagined Alex ever possibly wanting her for anything other than a friend.

She was not ready for this. She swore after living the life she had before that she would always be in control of herself and her emotions and right now, she was definitely losing control. She was used to always having a plan and she indeed did not plan on this.

Alex knew exactly what he was doing though. This was his chance! He was going to show Jo exactly how he felt and if she did not feel the same then well…well he didn't know what he would do then.

Everything about this moment just felt so right!

Alex knew what he was thinking and he thought for sure she was thinking the same thing because he could see the look in her eyes.

Just as Jo had seen the look in his, Alex was certain he was seeing not only desire and passion but a lot of anticipation in her eyes as well, like she had been waiting for this moment forever too.

Both of their minds were going crazy wondering

Does he really?

Does she really?

And it all mounted up for what was about to happen next.

Still tracing the length of her jaw, Alex tucked a fallen piece of hair behind Jo's ear and then slightly cupped her face.

It was now or never. Here goes everything because this sure wasn't nothing and he wasn't going to deny it any longer.

He knew they worked as friends. But he wanted to prove that they would work as everything. Jo drove him so crazy but maybe she was in fact his kind of crazy. Alex actually started to have hope for himself, for Jo's self, for themselves! Maybe this could work but there was only one way to find out. He didn't want to be scared any longer.

He had to finally give himself a chance to be happy. Jo was not every other woman he had ever been with, she was no woman he had ever been with, and yet she was the only woman he ever wanted to be with, ever!

Alex's heart rate was increasing rapidly as he began to lean his face in closer towards Jo's. She would have failed miserably if she had tried to pretend her lips weren't already parting in anticipation.

Jo's body was becoming molten by just the intensity in Alex's eyes.

And she would have sworn that she had never heard her heart beat so loudly, but it was then she realized that it was the pings of the elevator moving upwards again.

And to no avail, as quickly as the doors had locked them in, they opened to set them free.

Alex, still oblivious, was mere centimeters away from kissing his woman when they both jumped to the startling voices coming from behind them.

"Alex, Jo?"

"Are y'all okay?" Meredith spoke up again realizing her presence was still unknown.

Jo and Alex both quickly snapped out of their façade and back into reality to turn around and see not only Meredith but Christina, Peckwell, and Avery standing there with stunned eyes.

Jo blushed and Meredith and Christina would swear that Alex did too.

Quickly realizing the turmoil of the situation and noting the pissed off look on Peckwell's face, Jo tried to come up with something, anything, as fast as she could. She had almost forgotten she was in a relationship with Peckwell because although he was standing right in front of her, she would not have been able to tell you his name five minutes ago!

Jo wished she had a mirror because her emotions were running wild and she so wanted to see what look she was portraying right now and everyone was staring at her as if it was her job to speak first.

Alex too was unsure of what to say, the truth? Yea right he told himself as he peaked over at Jo who seemed to have a look of regret on her face.

How could he have been so stupid? Jo was in a relationship, she was not his. He tried convincing himself of that but it wasn't as if Jo having a boyfriend was some new dawning realization. He had known this when they had stepped into the elevator. But he also took note of the pissed off look on Peckwell's face but he wasn't sure what to make of it quite yet.

Alex knew he would be mad if he found any girlfriend of his with her body almost tangled up with another guys in an elevator.

But at the same time, everyone already knew he and Jo were just friends.

Could it have looked that bad he questioned himself as he tried accessing the situation.

Obviously so, he considered quickly because he and Jo were still standing there speechless. And everyone else was still waiting on them to just say anything at all.

Alex looked at Jo and saw embarrassment start to fill in her eyes. Jo did not deserve this! Unless he said something, anything, then he knew the hospital would fill with rumors of her being a whore. It would all be blown out of proportion and people would start calling her HO-JO. The thought alone pissed him off.

And it's not like they even came close to cheating but he knew with his reputation that someone would jump at the chance to just say it.

She does not need any of this. Jo does not need anything from me. Maybe she does want/need to try and be happy with Peckwell, Alex quickly, half-heartedly decided, and so Alex being Alex went back into normal Alex mode and decided to go with the logical answer.

The one everyone would hopefully believe and move on with! So that he could move on…

"We are fine, Meredith. The elevator broke down, not like that's a first! What is a first though, Is me having to be stuck in an elevator with an uptight princess whose spasms are harder to handle than a 6 year olds. Princess flipped out in there. I guess it brought back her memories of living in a cardboard box. And so I had to do what I had to do to keep her from sucking up all our air. Techniques of a good Doctor! Speaking of Doctors, I don't have time for this. I have a patient to go see."

And like that Alex disappeared never giving Jo a second glance.

Everyone else then decided there was something probably much more juicier going on elsewhere and so everyone then dispersed leaving only Jo and Peckwell standing there.

"Come with me now" Peckwell demanded as he grabbed a pretty rough hold around Jo's wrists.

Jo, obviously, did not feel like listening to whatever Peckwell had to say but she was still trying to pick up some of the pieces of her heart off the floor when he basically started walking for her causing her to follow behind.

She could not believe it! How did any of this happen? She walked into an elevator a half an hour ago feeling strong willed, independent, courageous, and bold. She knew who she was and promised no one would ever make/need/want her to feel any different.

Everything she had ever been through had led her to this moment. Or well the moments before the elevator.

How could she have been so naïve? She knew Alex would never really want someone like her!

Jo swore to herself that she would never let her past define her but she now had herself convinced that there comes a point where it is just too hard to try.

How can you overcome something that people are constantly reminding you of Jo tried making sense of anything at all, still half walking, still half being pulled, behind Peckwell.

She and Alex were friends, best friends, and she was always fine with that up until their epic elevator fiasco just moments ago. How dare he say those things about her? Why would he even? How could even? Jo's mind was now crazier than she had ever thought!

But really, that's why she had kept her feelings to herself in the first place. She thought they were just fine as friends.

"Did Alex not?" she challenged her beliefs. But she couldn't help but believe the facts.

So she guessed not, she argued with herself. The thought made her doubt herself in ways she didn't even know she could. What if he never liked her? What if she always got on his nerves? What if she was some bet with a guy friend to prove he did not sleep with every girl? And what if he chose her because she is the one girl he never would?

That was the only explanation. That is all she could come up with.

Why else would he have used her on insecurities against her? "Cardboard box…?" Did Alex really use those words?

She was heartbroken and as much as she had been through in her life, she had never felt worse than she did now.

She thought about the many people that had come and gone throughout her life starting with her Mother, ending with Alex, and the so many people in between.

Was any one ever just going to love her for her? Stick by her side? Want her? The good…and the bad!

"Guess not…everyone has always been right and I get only what I deserve!" That was the solemn acceptance Jo tried to assure herself of as Peckwell then shoved her into an on-call room and pushed her back up against the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Jo's heart was beating a million miles a minute, mostly because of the situation that had just occurred with Alex, but the last thing she wanted was Chest Peckwell screaming in her face.

She stood there motionless though, listening to him rant and rave about how she was the new hospital gossip!

"You heard Alex, it wasn't what it looked like" Jo finally spoke up! She knew she had to say something, anything, because Peckwell's grip seemed to be tightening around her wrists with every passing second.

But, even the current situation with Peckwell, could not contain Jo's brain from reverting back and forth, trying to figure out what had just happened between her and Alex.

"I saw exactly what it looked like" Peckwell reinforced!

"If the elevator would not have opened when it did, we would have probably seen y'all half naked for sure. You know that is the only reason he would ever want you, Jo. Just admit it to yourself already!"

Jo, unsure, of what to say, said nothing at all. Deep down, she knew what the intentions really did seem like in that elevator, therefore she condoned the fact Peckwell had a reason to be mad. He had never treated her like this before. He was always so kind, almost too kind though! She suddenly realized seeing the way he was acting now.

Jo knew he was mad but she had still not said anything at all, Peckwell became even more infuriated by this and started accusing her, "You're thinking about him right now, aren't you?"

But before Jo could say anything Peckwell continued on "You know what I have the hardest time understanding, Jo?" He began squeezing her wrists a little tighter and went on "I know we have only been together a few weeks and all and I have tried to respect the fact that you're a virgin and are how you put it as "not ready yet." But I have a hard time believing you're a virgin at all after seeing you tangled all over Alex like that! That's why you stay at his place instead of mine, isn't it, Jo? That's why you haven't moved in with me yet, isn't it? You're sleeping with Alex Karev, aren't you, Jo?

Jo wasn't sure what to say or do, she had never seen Peckwell like this before but he was looking at her as if he was waiting on an answer so as Jo started to deny the statement, she didn't get the chance to finish because Peckwell snatched her by the hair, pulling it with such force, Jo was certain she would have a bald spot!

Then he threw her across the room causing her to land against the metal bed frame in the on-call room which she was certain would leave a nasty bruise.

Peckwell then proceeded to come over and kick her a few good times. But then just as quickly as he threw her, he just as quickly leaned down in front of her and started apologizing.

"Oh baby, I'm so sorry. I am so so sorry! I have no idea what came over me. I just..I just love you so much and the thought of Alex with his man whore hands all over you just had me seeing red. See, I love you baby! I don't want anything bad to ever happen to you and Alex, he just..he's just bad for you. He would break your heart, and baby, you know I would never do that. I know you're not really sleeping with Alex but I know his reputation and I just, I just automatically assumed the worst when I saw y'all in that elevator together. That's why I think it's time you do what you told me you were going to do and move in with me! Just come over straight when you get off and we'll worry about your things later. I don't want you around Alex anymore! I would never hurt you and I know that he would! Do you understand, Jo?"

Even though, Jo did not want to believe a word of it, she did. Peckwell's sudden apology sounded so sincere and even though she already knew that the partners of domestic violence victims always come back around and say that they're sorry, she for an unknowingly reason believed him and simply responded with "Yes, I understand!"

Maybe it was because Alex had just proved to her that she was unworthy of his love. Or maybe, just maybe, she thought, she was actually meant to be with Peckwell and he really was just proving his love for her. After all, what he witnessed was exactly what he thought, if another minute would have passed, she was almost certain she and Alex would have been found locking lips.

Peckwell was her boyfriend and he caught her doing something she clearly should not have been.

Jo and Peckwell both regained their composure and he then, once again, apologized for the way he acted and she accepted.

After all, everything that had just taken place was her fault and she had clearly deserved it, Jo admitted to herself. Again, she heard voices haunting her telling her she was worthless and deserved everything she got which was all pretty much bad until she met Alex. But now that she saw his true feelings for her, she settled on Peckwell still being the one for her.

She was going to move in with him after all and he had never done anything like this before! And at least he did something he said he didn't mean and then immediately apologized for it.

Alex had totally trash talked her and could probably have cared less about apologizing or her current situation.

Peckwell's voice broke Jo from her trance and, even though, after everything she had just tried to convince herself of, she still wanted to gag when he came to wrap his arms around her.

"I am so glad you understand, baby! I just can't lose you. You are everything to me and none of this will ever happen again. I know it will be much better once you move in me and keep yourself away from Alex for good!"

Jo went on believing him but the last thing he said before he walked out the door, she knew would not only haunt her the rest of the day but possibly for the rest of her life.

"In order to show me that you're really sorry for causing all this, I think tonight will be the night you're ready because you are mine either way." Peckwell looked so devious when he said that and the echo of his words sent chills down Jo's spine.

Once Peckwell had shut the door and gone, Jo sat on the on-call room bed still trying to comprehend how her life had changed so drastically so suddenly.

Out of all the unfortunate events that had played out for Jo today, the one thing she was thankful for was the fact that Peckwell did not ask her about Alex's whole "card board box" comment. She totally wasn't ready to hash that out with him and she was pretty certain she would never let him in on that part of her life. Not after seeing how Alex had just so easily used it against her.

Jo rested her face in her palms, started to rub her eyes, and hoped she would wake up from this nightmare soon. But she already knew she wasn't dreaming so she just gathered her composure and made her way back out into reality.

Jo hoped for only three things to get her through this day; that she didn't see Alex, that she didn't see Peckwell, and the last which was really just for kickers because she knew it would never happen, but she sure as hell hoped that by crazy coincidence she didn't see them both at the same time! That was not something she would be prepared for at any moment.

Jo replayed Peckwell's words over in her head, "stay away from Alex!" Shouldn't be too hard she thought because she really didn't want to see him anyway. And it wasn't because of the threats from Peckwell, it was simply because she knew the sight of him would break her heart all over again.

And with everything she was keeping inside and was trying to figure out on her own she knew seeing either of them so soon might cause her to become more conflicted, or even worse, completely break!

Jo just needed sometime to herself to think about some things and so she was going to head to the only place she knew no men were allowed, the Ladies Restroom.

Jo was trying to hurry her way to the restroom as quickly as she could without being seen. But, of course, there was a fat chance of that happening.

Meanwhile, Alex was standing at the nurses' station going over a chart when none other but Chest freaking Peckwell walked over! He walked straight by Alex though and went directly towards the phone and grabbed a phone book.

Alex was trying not to eavesdrop but Peckwell was speaking so loudly that Alex thought he possibly may have wanted the whole hospital to hear him.

"Yes, two dozen roses" Peckwell repeated over the phone and continued with, and I want the card to say, "Forgiveness is everything, can't wait for tonight baby cause ready or not here I come"

Alex, still beating himself up over how he treated Jo couldn't help but wonder what exactly she and Peckwell had fought about once he ran off like he did. It couldn't have been just about him because Peckwell shot him a head nod and a grin when he had just walked past. Most likely a shit eating grin, Alex thought.

But whatever had happened between Jo and Peckwell could not have been that bad, he assumed. They had obviously already made up and he was sealing the deal with a bouquet of flowers for her.

He wasn't sure what to make of the card but he figured it had something to do with what they had talked about.

But it sounded like they were happy, so maybe Peckwell smiled at him because everyone wanted to just forget about the whole elevator thing and go back to normal.

If only it were that easy, Alex thought, because he knew his normal was with Jo Wilson.

But this is exactly what Alex wanted for Jo, wasn't it? For her to be happy and for her to be treated how she deserved! And well Peckwell was buying her flowers; Alex had never done anything like that for her before.

Jo was so generous that she had bought him a couch with bet money she won. It didn't matter that it was bet money she had won from him because she had won it fair and square. That's why it's called a gamble but thinking about it now, Alex felt terrible. Jo could have spent that money on anything she wanted, or possibly needed, and she chose to spend it on him instead. He should have at least been thoughtful enough to buy her some flowers or anything for that matter to show her his appreciation and just that he cared.

Finally Peckwell walked off and it was perfect timing for Alex because he then spotted Jo out of the corner of his eye. He wanted desperately for things to be okay between them because even if Peckwell really was the right guy for her, Alex still wanted to be Jo's friend! He had to let her know that he was only trying to do what he thought was right in the moment and that he was sorry.

Alex not only walked but almost ran across the room to try and get to Jo but he was cut off short when he heard Meredith shout her name first.

"Hey, Wilson, Meredith called as she motioned for Jo to come over to the nurses' station. "I hope you're okay after what happened in the elevator earlier because I'm putting you on my service today and I do not need you all out of it. Understood?

Meredith was just playing her usual Medusa self because, although, she wouldn't admit it, she loved to see the rise it brought out of the interns. And really, she wasn't trying to be hateful in any way to Jo. She was just trying to get her to liven up a little bit.

Jo, reminded Meredith so much of her from back when she was an intern and although she didn't know Jo's story, she could see the pain Jo tried to keep hidden away.

"Damn it, Jo thought!" Just when she thought she might be able to hide out for the remainder of her shift, Medusa, of all people wanted her on her service today. Jo was totally not in the mood to put up with her smart aleck comments all day.

But if Jo wanted to keep her job, which she did, then she would have to do what she was already so use to doing; putting a smile on her face and pretending as if nothing was wrong.

Jo made her way over towards Meredith and Meredith knew instinctively that something was really wrong with her. And Meredith assumed it had something to do with Alex because she had no idea about Peckwell.

Meredith decided that maybe Medusa wasn't the best way to try and liven up Jo today but instead decided that she probably just needed someone to talk to. So in another attempt to reach out to Jo, she broke the silence by saying "You know Alex didn't mean any of that, right Jo?"

"Sure he didn't" Jo barely whispered out.

Meredith could tell Jo didn't want to talk about it but still she pressed on "He really does care about you, Jo! Alex just has a hard time with expressing his emotions."

"Well it wasn't too hard for him to express them earlier" Jo quickly retorted back.

They both dropped the subject quickly though when they realized Alex was walking towards them at that very moment.

Alex still wasn't sure what he was going to say but he hoped he would figure it out within in the next 10 feet! He wasn't even sure when he had started to propel forward but all he knew is that he had to make things right with Jo, right now! And he figured if he caught her off guard, he would have a better chance of her not running away from him.

Alex just had to tell Jo that he didn't mean any of what he said earlier and he only said it because, even though, he how doubted Peckwell all along, he really knew nothing about him, and he didn't want to destroy anything good that she and Peckwell might actually have going for them.

Jo thought for sure there was no way in hell that Alex actually would actually have the balls to confront her so soon after humiliating her. But Jo was thankful that she didn't put her money on her mouth this time because sure enough Alex was now standing right there in front of her.

"Uh, Jo, can I talk to you please?" And before Jo could say anything, Alex said the first thing that came to his mind. "It's about, Ben, our patient, he has a birthday coming up and I figured you would want to help plan the party."

Out of everything Alex could have said, that's all he could come up with. And although, Alex did really want Jo's help planning the party, it wasn't for a few days so he was using it as a diversion to get her to follow him so that he could talk to her alone. He knew the hallways of Grey-Sloan was the last place they needed to be talking about their personal problems.

But Jo had taken it completely the opposite way, she could not believe that after everything she and Alex had been through together and especially after the way he treated her today that all he cared about was planning that party!

Jo, obviously, wanted nothing more than for things to be back to normal so that she and Alex could throw little Ben the best birthday ever. She loved that kid. So even with the current situation, Jo knew there was no way anyone would keep her from missing his party.

But it was the nerve of Alex to confront her in that way, he was pretending that nothing was going on between them which really infuriated her because she was hurting so damn bad.

Jo did not have a chance to say anything to Alex though because, of course, with the luck Jo had been having, none other than Chest freaking Peckwell made the corner, with a pretty pissed off look on his face, and was heading straight towards herself, Meredith, and Alex.

Jo quickly turned from Alex and started shuffling through charts as if she was looking for something. Meredith, being a woman, and being able to relate to Jo on a level that no guy would ever understand, watched Jo cautiously as she noticed her demeanor had changed so quickly.

Meredith watched Jo fondle through the charts as Peckwell had almost made his there. Maybe if Jo was lucky if she kept her head down, Peckwell. possibly may not have seen her, and would just walk on by.

"Jo, I got you a coffee", Peckwell practically screamed because he was still feet away from them.

Peckwell couldn't even give her 10 extra seconds of space and the thought made Jo want to scream.

"Seriously, Seriously? Joe thought to herself but apparently what she was thinking, she spoke out loud because Meredith broke her from her thoughts by asking "Seriously what, Jo?"

Caught totally off guard, Jo replied, "It's nothing, I'm fine!"

And in that moment it was as if Meredith was standing in front of a mirror! Jo not only reminded Meredith of herself as an intern but she reminded her of what she used to be like even outside these hospital walls, although usually everything did happen within them. But still Meredith could see all the pain Jo held within just she did up until Derek showed her what it was like to really be loved and not only that but to how to truly love herself.

Meredith knew something was going on with Jo and she could tell that it had more to do than with what had happened with Alex. She wasn't quite sure what it was yet but she was pretty sure it had something to do with her and Chest Peckwell, because when Peckwell finally came to stand behind Jo, Meredith could tell Jo wanted to crawl out of her skin.

Peckwell finally started to speak so Jo turned around to face him and she couldn't have been in a worse situation when he started to ask her what he came for.

"Jo, I have a really awesome case that I'd like to join in on me with today." Peckwell said with a fake but cocky smile on his face.

Jo could tell he was pissed that he caught her talking to Alex and she knew that was the reason behind the fake part of the smile. But the cockiness in it is what really made her blood boil because he said it as if he knew Jo would was going to automatically please him by agreeing to scrub in.

Alex, who had not said a word since Jo suddenly turned around and started ignoring him and being a typical, jealous, in love, guy at the moment, he did not sense that anything was wrong with Jo but only saw the situation as Jo purposely trying to ignore him because Peckwell had witnessed them talking.

Alex wondered if what had happened in the elevator had pissed Peckwell off to the point of telling Jo to stay away from him. But he wondered more than that if Jo would have actually agreed to it. But if he had to guess, he would definitely guess yes by the way Jo had now started acting. But he wasn't going to give in and believe that just yet.

Alex knew it was wrong but he had to challenge the questions eating away at him so he startled everyone when he was the one to speak up next.

"Jo, is on my service today Peckwell, she has been on this case for a while now and it's a very important one and she knows it better than anybody."

"I think that is for Jo to decide, isn't it?" Peckwell asked turning toward Jo with a look in his eyes that said you better choose me.

But Alex's true test was coming next and he knew he probably shouldn't say it but he spoke up and said it anyway "Jo, if you don't participate on my service today then I'll have to find someone else to see it through." Alex knew how much little Ben meant to Jo and he knew it was wrong to put her on the spot like that but he knew this decision would be the answer to all the questions he so desperately needed to know.

Jo stood there speechless as did Meredith. But Meredith could see right through both Alex and Peckwell's games.

Alex was one of Meredith's best friends but she so wanted to kick him in the nuts right then. How dare he put Jo on the spot like that, It was just wrong.

And as for this Peckwell fellow she knew nothing about, Meredith didn't like him just because she was pregnant and she could like whomever she wanted. And the baby was kicking her ribs pretty roughly and it didn't start to Peckwell showed up and so she took that as the baby telling her "to make that awful noise shut up out there" And well really she didn't like him because she knew that he was the main thing standing in between her best friend and the woman he was so obviously meant to be with.

"How come they are the only ones who couldn't see it?" Meredith asked herself. But it was then she connected on a whole other level again with Jo. Alex and Jo are just exactly what she and Derek were five years ago. Meredith laughed to herself. Although she was almost certain of what would play out between them over time, Meredith knew that it was the time in between that that was the absolute worst.

Meredith knew Jo needed somebody right now and although she didn't know much about her intern friends and their relationship with her. She knew that she had always longed for a positive older female figure to look up to, which she never got.

And so Meredith, being the Mother she was now, couldn't help but want to open up her heart for Jo and be able to be there for her as much as Jo would possibly let her.

Meredith decided that it was her time to speak up and she had hoped that she was about to say what Jo wanted her to say.

"Leah is on scut and she is dying to be on someone's service. You guys go fight over her because Wilson is with me today! Got it?"

Alex and Peckwell both looked over at Jo, and even though the decision was ultimately up to her, she really did actually want to be on Meredith's case today. She didn't want to have to put up with either one of the guys right now. Well, she didn't want to have to put up with one of them ever again.

And so Jo said that first logical thing that came to her mind, "Don't look at me, cause I don't know about either one of y'all but I don't want the wrath of pregnant Medusa!"

Alex turned to walk away first without saying a word. Although Meredith was a great Doctor and one of his best friends, he knew Jo didn't like being on her service.

Alex knew what his case meant to Jo and she would rather put up with someone that she didn't like then just stand up for herself and pick the case they both knew she wanted too. Or so he thought she wanted too.

That was it! Alex was done! Peckwell could have Jo but as much as he tried to convince himself he didn't care, within his heart was breaking.

Peckwell still stood standing there in front of Jo and went to pull her away to talk when Meredith quickly cut in and said "Jo, come on with me. We have to go now!"

Jo turned around to follow Meredith but Peckwell pulled her back in for what she thought was going to be a fake show of affection to fool everyone and sure enough she was right. Peckwell pulled her closer and pecked her on the cheek but she was not expecting for what he then whispered into her ear.

"You'll pay for this later, I'll look forward to it" and with that he walked away as if he had just been such a gentleman.

Jo was never more thankful to be on Medusa's service. She didn't really understand why Meredith had done that for her, but for whatever the reason, she was thankful, because at least now she would be in surgery for a few hours and no one would bother her.

Or so she thought..


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: I had to write this Chapter into my story as I've come to realize I don't like to leave anything out. Sorry there is not much Alex in this Chapter but I really went into a lot of detail and I hope it makes for a decent cliff hanger! **

**I had to incorporate Meredith in this story like I did for the simple fact that Jo really is a lot like her. And we all need somebody to lean on sometimes so I decided this is how I could do it for myself.**

**Hope you all enjoy! And Happy Grey's Day! Oh, what a long summer were all in for. **

Jo and Meredith were getting ready to prep their patient for surgery and neither of them had spoken a word to each other since leaving the nurses' station. You could have heard a pin drop in the room if it wasn't for the monitors that echoed beeps off of the four walls.

Meredith was wondering to herself how she was going to be able to get Jo to trust her when she couldn't even come up with any words to make small talk.

Meredith wasn't oblivious to the fact that Jo wasn't too fond of her, but she, or Medusa, as the interns called her, never really gave Jo a reason to be.

When the interns first arrived, Meredith was annoyed with them all just as Bailey used to be with her and her circle of interns. Bailey was hard on her and Meredith now realized she owed her a Thank You for that! And, even though, Bailey and Meredith had their fair shares of disagreements, they were still friends now. And that's what Meredith wanted for her and Jo, was for them to be friends.

So Meredith convinced herself that even though she was probably the last person Jo trusted because she was in fact so hard on her, she still had to at least attempt to try.

Meredith knew she had to start talking. She figured it probably wasn't best to bring up Alex or Peckwell quite yet because she didn't want to make Jo feel like she was prying. So Meredith started talking about the one thing she knew how to talk about best. Her daughter, Zola!

And although, Jo loved kids! She just really wasn't in a talking mood. But Jo wanted to show her appreciation to Meredith for rescuing her out of that crisis earlier, so for that she was at least trying to make light conversation. And within about 30 minutes into the surgery, Meredith even got Jo to laugh a little which Jo had to admit felt really good.

"Everything looks good here and we made excellent time" Meredith announced to the filled O.R. Room.

"Would you like to do the honors of closing, Jo" Meredith asked while turning to hand Jo the necessary instruments.

"Me, Really? Jo started, but I'm not..

Meredith quickly cut her off. "Look at me Jo, I wouldn't have offered if I didn't think you weren't ready", she had just took the words right out of Jo's mouth.

"I know you've got a lot going on", Meredith said in a lower whisper so that only Jo could here, "but I know you can do this", Meredith continued. "Just focus, you can do this."

Jo then proceeded to take the instrument from Meredith, looked down at the still form below her, said a quick prayer, and then began doing what she knew she was born to do, to fix people.

"If only she could fix herself, Jo thought", but she didn't have too much time to ponder on that right now, a life was in her hands, and she couldn't help but marvel at the fact that she was successfully keeping the man alive at this very moment!

"Wonderful job", Meredith cheered as Jo finished closing, "See, I told you that you could do it."

Jo was just trying to let it all absorb in, she couldn't believe that, Medusa, of all people, allowed her to close on such an amazing surgery.

She felt so wonderful, so alive, so, in the moment! Jo had aided in restoring a man's health ultimately giving him the most precious gift, life.

"So how come she didn't feel this way about her own life right now?" Jo asked herself. All the wonderful feelings she felt about herself right now, how come she couldn't let them keep occupy of her spirit instead of the current demons that kept invading within.

But Jo knew she could have stood in that O.R. Room forever feeling exactly the way she did now. She felt like such a different person standing there. Jo was bewildered at how her emotions just kept getting changed around so rapidly today.

Everything played back in her mind, not only on rewind, but pause and rewind. So much had happened to her today. And Jo smirked to herself when she realized that she herself had a hard time believing the facts of the oh-so-real events that had already taken course over her day.

Jo had no idea how much time had passed before she came out of her thoughts because she suddenly realized only she and Meredith were left standing in the room.

Meredith took this as her chance to really try and reach out to Jo.

"Listen to me, Jo!" Meredith started, trying to maintain control of her own voice.

"Jo, you did an amazing job just now, an amazing job, and I saw the look in your eyes when you finished. It was pure happiness. And that's not the look you walked in here with."

Jo now looked down at the ground, away from Meredith, seeing now where this conversation was going. But why did Meredith care so much about her now?

Jo couldn't help but assume this was all some sort of scheme of Alex's or something. But seeing how he was acting towards her now, she figured that he hated her for sure, and she wasn't the happiest with him either. But either way, he probably was never going to talk to her again. So Jo quickly shook the thought off as Meredith continued on. Jo wanted to hear what she had to say!

"Look Jo, I'm not trying to pry in your life and I am definitely not doing this for Alex's sake if that's what you're thinking, because trust me, it's not. I am pretty pissed off about the way he treated you earlier."

Meredith, seeing that Jo might actually kind of trust her now, continued on.

"You just remind me so much of me. And I could tell that something was bothering you when you came in. But you blocked it all out during the surgery. And that's fine, that's what you're supposed to do. But when we finished, I could tell you were happy. And that's fine too, that's how you're supposed to feel. But I know as soon as you step out of these doors that you want be happy anymore. And that's not fine, Jo, trust me, that is not how it is supposed to go. I know that this day must be almost unbearable for you, Jo, but you have to believe me when I say, you deserve to be happy and, in time, it will all pass.

Meredith then told Jo something that she was sure she would have never told anybody.

"My mom told me right before she passed away that she had hoped she raised me to be extraordinary and that she was rather disappointed in knowing how ordinary that I had actually turned out."

"It took me awhile before I actually understood it because I thought becoming a Doctor, just like her, and saving lives, just like her, was the most extraordinary thing ever.

Derek then showed me what true love actually was and that's when I began to understand what My Mom had been trying to show me.

"That no matter what you do, a life by yourself, un-happy, doing nothing but wrapping yourself up in your work just to try and get by, was nothing but ordinary!

But instead a life full of family, love, and laughter was really what was the most extraordinary!

You have to live life Jo and you have to be happy. I wasted many precious years being unhappy. I know I don't know you very well and I know I am not really part of your story but I can tell you've been through a lot.

I can see you falling apart little by little. And Jo, I'm just trying to tell you to be happy, no matter what, live life, one day at a time, because everything that is meant to be will eventually be.

Trust me, I know it's hard in the process but you will get through it.

And I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you ever need anyone to talk to that I am here for you. And, I can promise you that anything you might want to tell me would definitely stay just between the two of us."

Jo just sat there stunned, unsure of how to act, or what to say. No one had ever reached out to her like this before and well..well she just didn't know how to take it.

Although, Jo didn't really know Meredith that well, she seemed to actually trust her a little throughout this conversation which was rare for Jo. And she really did want/need to talk to somebody.

Jo was half close to telling Meredith everything but then her, self-conscience self, starting reminding her of what she already knew. She had to be careful who she trusted because all she had ever experienced was people changing on her, her whole life, in the drop of a dime, for no reason at all.

And after all, Jo thought for sure that Alex had been her person and she thought she could trust him with anything and, once again, she reminded herself of how that played out and so she persuaded herself from telling Meredith everything just yet.

Meredith could tell she wasn't ready, which she understood and so she tried to change the subject. Meredith knew what it was like to be pushed and she wasn't trying to come off that way to Jo.

Jo was trying to be as brave as she could and she really was finding much comfort in talking with Meredith.

Jo finally convinced herself that Meredith wasn't putting on a show and that she really was reaching out to her and she wanted nothing more than to accept it.

It was then, when she had just started to speak the words "I'm just a little scared that..

That Jo's bad luck, in it's so un-timely fashion, returned yet again. She was now sure that her luck was never going to change because out of anything, anything, that could possibly happen right now the last thing Jo wanted happening was, once again, about to take place.

Because .. None other than Chest freaking Peckwell poked his head in the door.

Jo hoped and prayed that Peckwell hadn't heard what she just said but although he was putting on yet another fake smile in front of Meredith, Jo could see it in his eyes that he was now more furious than ever.

Meredith knew Jo and Peckwell were in some half-kind of relationship and that eventually Peckwell would get his chance to talk to her. But Meredith knew Jo wasn't quite ready yet, so she quickly spit out what she could in an attempt to save her, yet again.

"I told you already, Dr. Meyers, Jo is on my service today and well, her break isn't for a few hours so she's still busy assisting me.

"Looks as if y'all are all done here now, Peckwell replied. I just need to speak with her for a moment."

"I said we are busy Peckwell, don't you belong on a different floor?" Meredith pointed out as the tone in her voice sharpened.

Yet, Peckwell still went on to try again! Meredith threw herself into her bad-ass-self mode though and never gave him a chance to even draw in a breath.

And then she purposely, whole-heartedly, and willingly asked him "So who would you like me to call to have to explain the rules to you?

I'll give you your choice of anyone you would like to speak with on the directors' board. Let me see, there's Derek, my Husband, or wait Christina, my Best Friend, she's real good at explaining rules, and then let's see, Oh and well we have to include myself, of course, but I've already explained them to you so that would technically be one warning you've got already, so yea the second probably won't look so good so..yea.. um..you'd better pick wisely, Meredith finished letting the hint of sarcasm in the last word ring out.

Peckwell then looked over to Jo, who could not manage to say anything.

Meredith was about to continue on with saying the others' names when Peckwell finally took the hint and before shutting the door said, "Jo, I better see you at lunch!"

Meredith not knowing how bad Jo really wanted out of this relationship was just trying to buy Jo a couple more hours of time to think to herself.

What Meredith didn't know and what Jo hoped she would never know was that, although, she rather enjoyed watching every single bit of Peckwell getting told off by Meredith's, Medusa Side, Jo knew he planned to make her pay for just sitting there saying nothing at all.

Jo couldn't! Because if she would have said anything at all, it would have been something to stick up for Meredith for the way Peckwell was talking to her. But Jo knew that would have made this situation a million times worse. She hated Peckwell now that his true colors shined through and she hated the fact that she was even associated with such a guy. But he was stuck in her life for the moment and there was nothing she was going to be able to do about it unless she worked up the courage to do something about it.

And although, Jo still wanted nothing more than for this day to be over, she had never wished that lunch would come more slowly.

But Meredith had lied about still needing any help from Jo. They actually had nothing to do now. And as Jo was contemplating on where she could go hide out for a while, Meredith then spoke up, "Hey since we have nothing to do for the moment, would you like to learn a few secret tricks of mine?"

"Well, of course", Jo practically shouted and the smile on her face made Meredith's day. "Well then let's go, Meredith said.

Meredith knew that Jo was still far from completely opening up to her but this was a good start.

Jo, still, not sure what to make of this big heart felt conversation with Meredith, no longer cared to question it.

Meredith had reached out to her and she really did feel better a whole lot better.

Now all Jo needed to do was to use her new found strength to block what she knew was coming when she stepped back out into the real World.

And much sooner than what she had hoped, lunch time arrived!


	4. Chapter 4

Alex sat at the nurses' station pretending to go over charts when really he could not keep his mind off Jo. He kept trying to convince himself that she did in fact want to be with Peckwell and that he was just going to have to get over it and make himself happy.

He just wished, most of all, that they could still be friends. But he knew that would never happen as long as she was with Peckwell. Oh, how he really disliked that guy. But he was sitting there so confused and desperate to make things right that he had started to question himself. What if maybe, maybe, somehow maybe, he could possibly try and be friends with Peckwell just so that he could possibly continue to be friends with Jo.

"That would never work", Alex told himself. He had already made himself look like an idiot earlier. He had ruined their entire relationship in an instant. If only he wouldn't have come onto her in that elevator then none of this would have ever happened. And, of course, he knew he didn't mean anything he said but only got scared and thought he was doing what was right. And although he knew what he what he said about little Ben was wrong, he was just trying to figure out what was right.

But this was all wrong.

This was all just so wrong.

His mind was going crazy and all he knew was that he missed her and would do whatever it took to be around her.

And plus little Ben had some sort of surprise for them later.

Alex knew that he just had to figure something/anything out.

So when Peckwell of all people walked over to the nurses' station. Alex did the dumbest thing he could have ever done.

He just didn't know it yet.

Alex had actually decided that he might try and give Peckwell a chance so that he could be friends with Jo. Instead of giving himself a chance so that he could be in love with Jo.

As Peckwell finished talking to a nurse, Alex decided to confront him by saying "I have something to tell you about Jo."

Peckwell, of course, took this an opportunity, thinking that maybe Alex was pissed at Jo for her not picking him earlier and that maybe he would do something mean or like say something bad about her. He was thinking that because he knew that's what he would do.

Alex then started "Look man, we all have to work together in this Hospital and this stuff with Jo, I think, has us all going crazy. I know I call you a douche and all but if you make Jo happy then that's what I want for her. She likes you so yea. But I want to be her friend also. Look, Jo and I both had the same childhoods. We were both bumped around from foster care to foster care, but Jo, she had it pretty rough, she lived out of her car and then became a Doctor, who does that? We both know what she's been through and well she's Jo and she's awesome. And well, her and I just relate in a lot of ways and she's just simply one of my Best Friends and I can't not be around her, so if I have to not call you a douche then that's what I will do. Can't we all just get passed all of this? You know that's what we all want."

And it was then Alex knew Peckwell really really disliked the guy no matter what. All he said was "Jo is mine and she told me earlier that she couldn't stand you. So there's your answer from her, not me. And as for me I think you're the only one going crazy because I got the girl. So good luck with that!

And with that Peckwell walked off, without another word, to go find Jo. He was pissed.

Alex had always had a doubt that maybe Peckwell really wasn't a douche. And maybe he just thought that. But he knew for sure now that he was in fact just that, really way, way, more. And although, he would never get what Jo saw in him, it was obvious that she had chosen Peckwell, therefore he was just going to have to accept that he had blew his chance and as much as it hurt like hell, and was going to continue hurting, he had to forget about it for right now because he had a promise he made to a little boy.

Jo walked out of the skills lab with Meredith, and even though, she had no idea of what to expect for the rest of the day, her current stride alongside Meredith, had her smiling, laughing, and most importantly, feeling confident.

Jo laughed at herself, thinking, a shrink probably wouldn't accept all the money in the World to help her sort out her problems, and she laughed even harder thinking, and damn, she means only her problems that started today, and it was only lunchtime.

And that's when her stomach dropped. Lunch! It was lunch time. She was about to have to face her problems one way or the other.

Meredith was right, she thought. It was just so easy to let work consume you and allow you to forget about all your problems. And Jo wanted to do nothing more but to continue feeling as she just had in the O.R. and skills lab.

I can't even take this anymore, Jo thought. Her mind was a war-zone and it was because she had always allowed it to be. With every step she was taking, her emotions were changing. She couldn't figure out or make up her mind about anything. And she knew it was because she was basing her decisions around everyone else. She had been alone for so long, that she was allowing herself to take crap, just so that she did not have to be alone.

So, that's when she decided, no more bullshit. She didn't need Peckwell, she didn't deserve someone that deliberately hurt her. And, even though, she knew it would take her just a tad bit more to convince herself about Alex, he had obviously used her, for whatever reason, she didn't know. But it was making her crazy so she believed her head for now that was telling her she didn't need Alex, she didn't deserve someone that deliberately used her. But the hardest part of all was denying her heart. The thought of Alex still gave her butterflies.

Oh what it is going to take to figure myself out, once again, laughed to herself but she was ready for whatever it was going to take and if there was one thing she knew for absolute certain, it felt damn good!

But Meredith was exactly right! It was the time in between that was hardest. Jo knew there was a lot she still had to face and admit before she could completely forgive, forget, and allow herself to be happy. But damn, what a roller coaster ride within a series of unfortunate events she was having.

She and Meredith were still just strolling along side each other down the hall, neither saying anything, because in that second, they both had a feeling of such peace.

That was until all of a sudden they witnessed what both of them knew was just absolutely inevitable within the walls of Grey-Sloan, and that was always seeing the one person/thing that you didn't want/need to at the moment.

It was in that moment, that all Jo's peace faded back down. With all Jo's emotions that she had going on she didn't know whether she just wanted to cry or die. And with all Meredith's "pregnant" emotions going on, she didn't know whether she wanted to cry or kill.

"Alex is such an idiot", Meredith thought as she and Jo both finally took in what they were actually seeing.

Alex, his and JO'S patient, little Ben, and of all people LEAH were standing by the nurses' station, in what would seem like the cutest thing ever, to an outsider, but to Meredith and Jo, they were both more pissed at Alex than ever.

Alex, Leah, and little Ben were putting on a show for the nurses' which they were all laughing hysterically about. As cute and innocent as it was for little Ben, it wasn't just that, Meredith and Jo couldn't take their eyes off the "couple" of adults in front of them.

It was a play so Meredith and Jo had to automatically assume that they were in fact just playing couple and that this had to be some part of the show because Alex and Leah were hand in hand swinging around singing and dancing in what looked to be the time of their lives.

So okay, yes it was a play, Meredith and Jo both thought, and yes they were in fact playing, they both saw that, but what they also both saw is how okay with it all Alex actually looked to be. He was laughing and smiling and well, this shit seemed legit.

But Women being Women, neither of them got it.

So yes, Meredith and Jo, had just had their big spill about being happy and whatever. But that easy, once again, Jo went from being the happiest she could have been in that day, all considering, to quickly not even being able to complete the sentence about being happy, it had instantly turned back into, and whatever.

Meredith and Jo understood what each other was thinking without having to say. They had both been honest with themselves. They both agreed that it would take time.

And it would.

And it should.

If it mattered that was.

Seriously?…Seriously? They both unknowingly asked themselves at the same time as Meredith grabbed Jo's hand and turned to walk her in the other direction going completely unnoticed by Alex who was too busy to notice in doing his, well, whatever the hell it was he was doing.

Jo would never have told Meredith but she just wanted to run as fast as she could but Meredith had not left her side yet today and so Jo told herself she was not about to run off on her now.

Meredith, of all people, was helping her make it through the day. But Meredith was pregnant so not only could Jo not run away, in her mind, she wasn't even walking away.

Meredith learning how to read Jo, already, could tell what she was thinking and asked her "Don't you think I'm trying to waddle away as fast as I can?"

Jo thought she was actually about to let out a laugh when she realized that they indeed had not waddled away fast enough because although they couldn't really be seen by many of the people that had been watching the charade play out, they could still hear what was going on, and Jo would have gave anything not to hear what she actually heard.

Little Ben's actual big voice let his feelings be known. The play had just finished and everyone was cheering and then Leah decided to open her big mouth and say "That was so much fun wasn't it?"

And no one could ever disagree with the fact that kids said the darndest things because little Ben answered Leah quite honestly with "It would have been "funner" with Dr. Jo! Dr. Alex said you were cooler but you're not."

Jo couldn't decide if what she heard little Ben say had helped to make or break her day. So she decided instead that now was just definitely the time to run. She had too. And although Meredith tried to stop her, Jo ran so quickly, all she managed to hear Meredith say was "Don't give up Jo, just be Happy."

Jo felt terrible but she just kept running.

Derek and Christina, who had been on the other side of the nurses' station actually watching the play, well Derek watched and Christina made fun of, but they came around to see Meredith just as she was pleading her last words to Jo while she was running off. Christina played around with her saying "Awe, dark and twisty done went and got all soft and misty."

Derek knowing little about what was really going on could still put two and two together and realized what must have happened.

Still he asked, "So I take it Wilson heard what the kid said?"

Meredith, with all her pregnant emotions, shot him a look that said "what the hell do you think?" And before she could say anything else she saw a soft-faced Alex coming their way.

Alex unknowingly made his way over with an already half-smile to an already pissed off Meredith.

So, Alex casually walked up saying "Please tell me you guys didn't see that because I don't need y'all making fun of me every chance y'all get. And it wasn't even supposed to ..

But Meredith couldn't keep it in anymore and quickly cut him off. And he definitely wasn't expecting what Meredith had to say, "What the hell were you thinking, Alex?"

"What?" he asked confused. I just put on one hell of a play for a little boy who has been planning it all day.

Alex hadn't put any of it together.

"That's it?" That's your answer, Derek was getting ready to hold Meredith back because he could tell she was about to attack. So he spoke up for her and told Alex, it was about what little Ben had said.

"Oh that", Alex stated. "What? Who cares if Leah's feelings are hurt. Kids say what they mean. And well he was telling the truth. And well it was supposed.."

But Meredith quickly cut him off again,

"Leah's feelings?" Meredith was surely going to kill him now, Derek thought, half-way between a smirk and a laugh. He so used to be that clueless too.

So "Wait, wait, wait" Derek said as he grabbed hold of a lunging Meredith.

Men being Men, Derek could tell that maybe Alex really was confused and had no idea what he had just done so he spoke up by saying "Obviously, there is some kind of misunderstanding with everything that's happened today so Meredith just hear Alex out calmly, okay?"

"No, he is going to hear me out first", Meredith practically screamed but it wasn't as much as a scream than as a plea.

So Meredith took a deep breath and said exactly what she had to say.

"You're such a freaking idiot, Alex! You are such an idiot. We have all stood by your side, crazy girlfriend after crazy girlfriend, all the while you moping around feeling sorry for yourself. And then you get a once in a lifetime opportunity to be happy with a girl that loves you more than anything in this World. And you just go and mess it up like that?

I get you're scared, Alex, but grow the hell up already.

She loves you. Jo loves you, Alex!

And I know you love her too. So stop it already. Just stop it.

I can't make you tell her. And obviously you're not going too. Just why do you think Jo stood there when we found y'all in the elevator?

She was waiting on you to speak up and take up for her. Shit, you could have proclaimed your love right then and there. I'm pretty sure I would only need one guess to know who she would have picked. But instead, you were an ass, Alex.

Then with what happened at the nurses' station earlier, for a moment, you had her undying attention until you decided to not even make it about y'all, you were an ass, Alex.

And then just now, I don't know if you planned on Jo seeing it or not but she did and, you know Jo would have heard it so either way, you were an ass, Alex.

I just don't get it Alex.

I can't believe you had the nerve to tell little Ben that Leah was 10x cooler than Jo.

Why Alex, why? Cause let me tell you, after seeing the look on Jo's face, I don't know if she'll ever forgive you.

Alex stood there completely bewildered. Yes, he knew he loved Jo. But he really was just scared. And then everything with Peckwell, he was just so confused. Nothing had ever went how he wanted so he never wanted to even try and give himself the chance, with Jo, to have this work out how he wanted. He was playing so many mind games with himself or it could have been that someone else was playing mind games. He didn't know and he hated it.

Some of it, Alex understood.

Yes, he was an asshole.

And yes, he said things he didn't mean that he would give anything to back.

And yes, he was scared of getting hurt.

And yes, he was scared of hurting Jo.

And yes, he had just been a damn fool all along.

Because YES, he loved Jo!

And then all of a sudden, nothing else mattered.

He loved her..

He loved her..

He was in love with Jo Wilson.

That was all it took. He was never going to try and convince himself otherwise.

He loved her..

He freaking loved her..

God, How he loved her so much..

He had to find her and make it right.

So, quickly, in such a guy way, explained what he could by saying, "I love her. And I know everything I said and did earlier hurt her but this whole thing with little Ben was just to please him. Ben had the play planned out for me and Jo and when I told him she couldn't make it. He got really upset.

So yes, I did what I could to cheer him up. I told him Leah was cooler than Jo and that she could do it. I didn't know. I'm a dude, I didn't know what to say. But he's a kid, and obviously he's smarter than I am because Jo is way cooler.

Now I'm going to go tell her I've fallen completely in love with her. And right before he took off, he looked at his 3 friends and simply said "Thanks."

Derek, Meredith, and Christina all stood there thinking it's about damn time.

Christina joked around that "Alex had just give a new meaning to the word speed." She, of all people, couldn't help but smile.

Meredith, all with her emotions again, couldn't help but say Awe to Derek,

"He's her night and shining, whatever."

Derek simply looked at her and smiled. He knew what it had taken for them to have their happy ending.

All in time!

And to each their own!

They all stood their thinking about how far they all had come.

If only they knew,

If only they had ever known what to expect,

If only they had knew what still to expect!

Alex with "his new meaning of the word speed" jolted down the halls looking for Jo when the last thing he ever expected to happen happened when all of a sudden Avery walked up to him with a "what the hell" look on his face.

Alex, trying not to make time for it said "Look Avery, whatever it is right now, I'm busy looking for Jo! Have you seen her? Do you know if Stephanie has seen her?

Jackson then confronted him with what he had heard

"Well she is probably hiding from not only you but from everyone in this wing of the hospital, no probably the entire hospital. What happened in the elevator earlier? Was it really bad enough for you to start all these rumors and say.."

But before Jackson could get in another word, Alex simply stated "What the hell are you talking about? Look Man, not that it's anyone's business but I said what I had to earlier. But No, I did not spread any rumors. So, whoever is talking shit about her, or us on the elevator, or whatever. Because I didn't or have never said anything that everyone.."

"It's not that" Jackson cut him off with a deeply inhaled, very sharp break. It was as if it all come out in one word,

Quick.

Easy.

So Alex got nervous. His brain was going into over-drive. And he was about to freak out,

"If Not that,

What the hell, then,

What is it all about, then?

What is it Avery?

What?

Tell me already damn it!" Alex impatiently demanded.

A little stunned because he could already tell Alex's nerves were shot, Jackson dared himself to ask/tell him any of it but he already knew it wasn't the exact truth.

And so he tried to start simple and work his way into it, "Well everybody is saying that you are going around, I guess, going around telling everyone that Jo was some sort homeless kid and lived in her car, and, and well, there is a lot more but if.."

Alex cut him off instantly, actually not freaking out now, thinking, all the while asking, Avery "But still how's that some kind of rumor going around? Who cares about that?"

"Everyone already knows those things, so yea, whatever,

Jo is a strong, independent, smart, beautiful, now realizing he was starting to get carried away,

Alex summed it up a little easier..

"Jo's a Bad Ass Chick, Avery!"

"Another reason I'm looking for her! So I can tell her that. So ask Stephanie for me please! She has to be around here somewhere."

Looking to Avery for some kind of words, thoughts, ideas, anything?

Jackson didn't have to say a word because the look on his face gave it all away.

And then it finally hit Alex like a ton of bricks.

Nobody knew but him.

And she knew that.

And worst, Peckwell now knew that.

Alex had to find her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank You to everyone for all the comments, favorites, and follows! I'm Thankful to those of you who enjoy it and I'm excited because I've got some nice ideas for this one and a few others. I love to talk so feel free to talk/say/ask about whatever, if anyone has any ideas they would like to share, Please Do! **

Jo sat in the bathroom stall for what seemed like an eternity but she just needed to hide for the moment. She knew if she would have chosen one of the on-call rooms then most likely someone would have come to occupy at least one of the other two beds and she wanted nothing more than to just not talk to anyone else and for this day to be over with already.

It came to the point where she just had to get out of this hospital, and that was right about now!

So Jo was mustering up the courage, to get out of a bathroom stall, along way a couple of halls, and then out just one door, and she would be free. She definitely didn't see this as how her Thursday at work would end up turning out. But either way she would be out of there soon enough.

And then it hit her, where was she going to go?

Before now, Alex had never seemed to mind that she crashed at his and Christina's house. Not admitting that she would want to anyway, now, after all this, she assumed it did not matter either way because Alex would probably never allow her to stay there again either.

And she sure as hell did not want to stay with Peckwell. And she was not going to either. Jo just sat there and wished she had a place of her own. A place she could call home.

She wanted, so desperately, a place where she was the one to say, who could come, and who could go instead of her always being the one that was told to go.

And she missed Alex, the Alex, before today that she almost even wished that she would walk out of that bathroom and that things would be back to normal. She could go to the bar with Peckwell and pretend not to be staring at Alex all night and then leave from there to finish her drinking off with none other than Alex himself, her best friend. She was okay with all that before today and even knowing the asshole Peckwell was now. And although, she hoped if she were actually able to go back in time that she was of realized Alex was telling the truth about Peckwell the whole time. And even after it all, Jo would still do anything, put up with anything, so she could still have him as her person.

Jo wondered if she would ever have another night like that again with Alex. Life was exhilarating, fun, and she thought she was happy. So yet, she still couldn't come to terms with the fact of how quickly it all changed. And as much as she just kept trying to forget, her now aching body, reminded her of the day's events.

She had managed to go all day with showing knowing signs of weakness. Somewhere between the elevator with Alex, to the on-call room with Peckwell, to the events with Meredith, to what just happened moments ago with Alex and little Ben, Jo had somehow let her emotional pain outweigh the physical pain she actually felt now that she was by herself, alone in the bathroom stall.

Jo, after an unknown amount of minutes passed. Jo finally made her way out of the stall and over to the restroom mirror. What she saw in the mirror disgusted her! She felt so worthless, so used, so stupid! How could she be so smart and yet allow one guy to talk down to her and another guy to actually put his hands on her.

All in one day at that!

Jo mused at the slight cut on her forehead that she got in the elevator with Alex earlier and although it didn't really hurt, it was a painful reminder of what happened between them. That's not the first thing she wanted to see when she looked in the mirror today or any other day for that matter.

Jo then lifted up her shirt and sleeves and even though she knew already what she was going to see. Actually seeing the nastiness made her want to throw up. She knew that the light purple marks were soon going to turn into dark black bruises with mixtures of blue and yellow and she knew for sure that they would cover her skin for a while. And it made her cringe.

As Jo looked back and forth between the bruises from each incident, she knew that they were way different. First of all, Alex never physically left the cut on her face. It was the damn elevator. Alex did nothing, at first, but to actually try and take the pain away until they stepped back into public that was. That small cut was the start of her bruised ego which led to the events with Peckwell.

And so Jo thought about the difference of the bruises that Peckwell's incident had left on her. And it was simple, it was definitely the demeanor in which she received them and plus there was the fact that, physically, they hurt way worse.

As Jo sat there staring at herself in the mirror, she then realized that, even though, Peckwell, had taken out his jealousy out on her in the most wrong way, for some reason the bruise from Alex's incident left her heart aching way more.

Everything surrounding the events of the day had caused Jo to go against everything she had ever believed in. She looked in the mirror and reminded herself of all the promises she made to herself a long time ago and even just moments ago with Meredith.

She was Jo! She would never consider, or especially, even re-consider a guy that talked to her and about her like she was crap. Let alone considering loving him as in her case with Alex.

And Jo had always promised herself that there was no way in hell that anyone would ever put their hands on her again! Peckwell was an asshole and she couldn't believe she didn't see it all along.

Taking another look at her bruises that were turning darker by the second, she was using them as her motivation to walk out of that bathroom and just go out and set both Alex and Peckwell straight.

Jo was going to show the both of them that she was not a pathetic little toy that they could wind up, break apart, and even try and fix, but only whenever they felt necessary.

Jo was absolutely convinced and ready to go but she took a quick glance at her bruises one last time before getting ready to face not only the two men that treated her like crap today but also the woman she knew she was inside. She was angry at herself for not having stood up for herself already.

But just like clockwork, in an instant, Jo's whole world suddenly got turned upside down when Stephanie walked into the bathroom in what seemed to be for the intent purpose of finding her.

"Jo, there you are! I have been looking for you everywhere" Stephanie started but then stopped all of a sudden when she saw all of Jo's nasty bruises!

Jo, now realizing, that she still had her shirt held up, very quickly pulled it down. She knew Stephanie had seen what she was trying to hide and so she stood there not knowing what to say. Stephanie was probably one of the best friends she did have here, and now along with Meredith, but she knew that she could confide in Stephanie about something's but Jo just wasn't ready for this. She knew Stephanie might tell Avery who would probably tell Alex and then he would probably announce it sometime, who knew, anymore?

So Jo stood there thinking of anything to say. "Damn, I used to be good at this", she thought! "What a day?" Those three little words is all could she even say now, everything was just so unsolved, unexplained, undecided, un-wanted, and the most important, un-needed.

Jo wondered how she would be able to believe in herself outside of the O.R. when the minute she stepped out bad things kept happening to her, right in front of her, and she was just supposed to take it. She was an intern. She wasn't going to get to do amazing surgeries like that all the time. Maybe it was Grey-Sloan, No it was Grey-Sloan Hospital, and so she contemplated what it would be like for her to leave. And not just Alex but everyone, besides Peckwell of course, but everyone else, she knew she would actually miss them too. "In one day..seriously? "

Not to mention how oddly fast her mind was racing but yet at the same time was standing still, because when she focused back in on what was going on. She wondered how long Stephanie had been standing there staring her because she surely had to think she was crazy. Jo still had not said one word.

Jo thought for a second and when she didn't come up with anything, she considered just spilling the truth of everything to Stephanie.

Jo was just so desperate for a way out right now, and every time, she had exited a room today, life bit her and it bit her hard. Maybe she should just spit out the words as fast as she could and then just have Stephanie sneak her out of the hospital. Or maybe she'd start to say them and Peckwell would come barging in again, who knew? But Jo didn't get the chance to say anything at all because Stephanie spoke up first..

"Damn girl, that elevator tore you up, didn't it? I heard you and Alex were stuck in there for a long time together but I didn't know you got that hurt." Stephanie assumingly remarked!

Jo let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and went along with saying "Awe, it's not so bad. You know what we see every day is way worse."

"True that", Stephanie thought and she didn't think anything else of it but instead started to tell Jo the real reason that she came to find her in the first place.

"Jo, I know what happened in the elevator earlier and then I just heard about what happened with yours and Alex's patient, and what he and Leah did..

"Look Steph, Jo cut her off! Don't worry about any of that. I'm trying not to worry about it. Look, really I kinda need.."

"Now if I could only make myself spit out the rest" Jo debated with herself again.

But as much as everyone would say she loved to talk, it would not about herself, it would not be about today, and it would not be about anything else that could possibly wrong that day.

As Jo got lost in thought again, a very nervous Stephanie continued "Look, I just wanted you to hear this from me..."

Jo then quickly cut her short,

"Look Steph, whatever it is, just tell me, because trust me, it won't even come close to comparing to anything that I've already been through today" Jo protested, all the while, reassuring herself, that it in a fact couldn't possibly be worse than anything that had already happened to her today.

"That's the thing, Jo! I do know what you've been through. Apparently everyone knows. Almost everyone in the hospital is talking."

"What? That's so stupid! But yet, I already kinda figured!" Jo knew that Stephanie was referring to the elevator incident with Alex and the incident with what little Ben said about Leah, because of her, because of Alex, so who knows what people were saying because she knew there was no way, in hell, Peckwell would ever just go around and announce what he had did to her so she wondered what all rumors she was about to hear about herself that she didn't even bring on herself.

Jo, getting herself worked up a little bit asked, "So what is everyone saying? She was going to hear out all these crazy rumors and use them to herself advantage when confronting Peckwell and Alex.

Jo anxiously pushed Stephanie to hurry up and spit it out "So, what, what could everyone possibly be saying? That I'm a cheater and Peckwell deserves better or that I'm just a whore and that's why Alex just wanted to use me. Or is it that I possibly wasn't even good for Alex to even use like that. So within hours he then decided to go back to Leah or whatever, I mean, Come on now Stephanie, tell me because I want to hear it and I can take it, whatever it is, I can take it."

Jo prepared herself for whatever foolishness was about to come out of Stephanie's mouth and as she turned toward the door preparing to go out and stand up to all the lies as best as she could, she stopped right in her tracks when she heard what Stephanie had to say.

"Brooks and Shain just overheard some people saying some things about you, and they told me, and well I do not really care what's true and what isn't, you are my friend, and I just wanted you to know so you were prepared but they are saying some pretty horrible things about you out there, Brooks said she heard "you lived in a ditch because your Mom dumped you there when you were five and something about being homeless", and Shain heard something about you "living out of your car because no foster parents wanted you", Stephanie finished sadly knowing she just had to make her friend aware of these sudden rumors.

Jo just stood there, shocked, with her hand on the door handle. Everything she had just prepared herself for was not what was actually happening. Jo was so sure that they were all making up lies about her and she was ready to defend herself to the end.

Jo now realized that it was not a whole bunch of shit talkers out there making up lies, that it was actually, Alex, the one person she was already the most conflicted over.

Alex was the only person she had ever told about her past.

It was him, she knew for sure.

She had instantly started to feel not so conflicted about him anymore.

Just when she thought that the day couldn't get any worse, once again, it was today we were talking about, and she was wrong.

"How dare he?" Jo thought to herself. As if the "card board box" comment wasn't enough? Alex really went out and ran his mouth to God only knows who about the rest of the story and ultimately about something that was none of his damn business. His business, anymore, she rethought.

Jo wasn't sure how to feel now, she had planned on leaving that bathroom ready to fight off the bullshit but now that the truth was out, she knew that people were going to say what they wanted about her and there was nothing she could do about it because not only was it the truth, but it was coming from the mouth of the person she had trusted the most.

But instead of telling Alex and Peckwell off now, all Jo wanted to do was climb in a little whole in the wall, sit there for a couple of days, and hope that not only she would forget about everything but that hopefully everyone would forget about her too.

Jo simply looked at Stephanie and said "You can't always believe everything you hear, but everyone is going to talk crap anyway so I could really care less." And with that, Jo turned to walk out the bathroom door, hoping she could just walk throughout the halls invisibly.

Alex stood near the E.R. nurses' station. He hadn't seen Jo at all since he walked away from her at the other nurses' station earlier. And apparently no one but Meredith and Peckwell had either. He looked for any clue to as of anywhere she might be. There were so many, too many things he had to make right with her.

Alex would not doubt his feelings for her any longer though. No matter what he was going to prove his love for, her and never give up on here, and be there for her, and be positive support for her, and just be there for her whether she wanted him to or not. He didn't care how long it would take to regain her trust again but he was going to spend every second trying. He had to find her and explain to her how sorry he really was for what he said to her earlier and for also accidently letting her secret slip. He had looked everywhere almost everywhere already. "What if she is already gone?" Or worse, "What if she is with Peckwell being comforted by him for the stuff that he had let slip? When it was Peckwell that spread the rumors, he would spend every moment he could trying prove to Jo that she deserved better if she had decided to believe Peckwell over him.

Alex, in an attempt of his best effort to protect Jo, had actually ended up hurting her more. Alex was hearing all the rumors going around about her and he knew that only a small percentage of it was the truth, what he had actually let accidently slip up to Peckwell. There were so many people saying so many different things though and he knew Jo was going to be hurt.

Alex wanted nothing more than to be there for her. But how was he ever going to get Jo to trust him again? She had to know that he wouldn't intentionally hurt her. But after the elevator event, what he had used against with little Ben, and then what he did use against her with little Ben.

All the while, Peckwell was buying her flowers filling her head with lies that she, at the moment, had to believe because of what he said.

Meredith was right, he should have proclaimed his love to her on the elevator, and no matter which way it had went, it wouldn't have caused all this for Jo.

Alex's first thought when they got caught in the elevator was save the drama, if he would have of only knew then, what only the little that he could actually figure out about the entire situation now, he would've kissed her and never stopped.

In her mind, this is all, my fault, he thought. "Damn, here I go again, he thought quickly, thinking more quickly about how he would give anything if he could just see her this very second and attempt to explain.

He had to take a second glance because he thought he spotted Jo from the corner of his eye. He couldn't believe it. He was right! She was right there and he was so close and Jo looked like and probably was in an attempt to flee the hospital unnoticed.

Alex cautiously proceeded towards Jo but he still managed to scare the living crap out of her when he snuck up behind her and whispered her name.

"Jo."

Jo thought she probably just jumped higher than she possibly ever had before! But then she immediately recognized his voice and her heart sank down in her stomach.

She wanted to run but for some reason her feet felt glued to the floor. She was about to bolt like lighting without ever looking back but didn't have the chance because Alex slightly placed his hand on her shoulder and turned her around to look at him.


	6. Chapter 6

Jo could not really believe that she did not immediately run away when she heard Alex's voice.

He was already lucky she didn't cold-clock him for scaring her like that, but she wasn't about to tell him that, and she wasn't about to tell him that the sound of his voice is what had actually eased her.

So considering, "The Day", though and everything that she thought she knew,

Jo was asking herself, "Why she was now debating whether she would have made the run anyway, either way, because when,

Alex so smoothly brought her around to look at him, she was sure, that she wouldn't even have been able to tell herself what the word run actually meant.

And that was all she had wanted to do all day.

She didn't get it.

She was so damn mad at him though, and must of all hurt.

So, she of course, wondered why Alex would even have the nerve to talk to her in the in the first place.

After everything that had happened today, he really couldn't just let her be?

Alex knew her better than an open surgery though because he could tell exactly what she was thinking.

He had to explain. He knew none of this made any sense to her but that's why he had to explain.

But at that moment, in what love does to you, looking into her eyes, he was just taken away, and had not managed to say anything at all yet.

Jo had not managed to say anything at all either because after everything she had planned to say to him, it all faded away, in what love does to you, in that moment, just staring into his eyes.

They both really wished that there was nothing to say at all and that they could just stayed in the moment forever but there were too many things..just too many things happening.

It was over-whelming and well with all the thoughts and words they had both let consume them all day, neither could do anything but just look at each other.

They were both so tired of all the wrong words today so it was as if they were just trying to communicate through their eyes'.

But Jo's eyes' were filled with such hurt, and he had to take it away, and that's when he knew he had to try.

"Look Jo", Alex started and he immediately he wished he would have just kept his mouth shut and let their silent moment between last, even just a second longer.

Two words were all he managed to say and could see reality hitting Jo right in her face because her beautiful eyes suddenly saddened.

Oh how, he just wanted to wrap her in his arms and take her pain away, but he had caused a lot of it so although he had hoped, he knew it wouldn't or really even shouldn't be that easy.

And although, he was falling more in love with her by the second, he didn't want to proclaim his love right then and there.

It wasn't the moment that he wanted to remember in professing his love for her.

He didn't want her to hear the words.

He wanted her to believe them.

And he knew that she probably wouldn't want to remember hearing them in this moment either. Whether she believed him or not!

She just looked so beaten down and he couldn't believe that, he was in fact, the reason behind most of it. He had never seen her look so tired.

And with everything that Jo had been through already today, she didn't quite know what to take of all this. She was so confused. Why? Why, any of it? Was he really just torturing her one last time?

So she decided to take their slow-paused moment, trapped in their own minds, to remember why they were actually standing there like that in the first place.

And then she heard "I'm sorry..I'm so sorry Jo!" and that was all she needed to hear.

Alex, being totally unlike a guy, actually meant them whole-heartedly with everything he had but as soon as he said those few little words, he knew that maybe he should have just went with the "I love you" instead.

"I'm sorry", that's all he could come up with Jo thought quickly, not sure of what she wanted or expected to hear all that time standing there anyway, because if he was, in fact, so sorry, then it just validated his part in her day.

"Her day," Jo then let it all play through her head, once again, and well damn, of all things to be hers, this is actually what she was considering it to be, was just this awful day.

"This had to be meant for her", Jo told herself.

"Obviously", that's what she had to assume, "She was the only one who couldn't seem to get through it. And not only that, she seemed to be the only one not making any meaning out of it" she reminded herself.

And that's when she just did what her head told her to do because Jo then went on to bolt like an intern headed towards her first surgery.

"Where was that damn door?"

But although, most people would want to hear an apology, it had just reminded her of everything Alex had done, and just didn't realize, or care, or whatever,

And now, he was all a sudden.. sorry..so sorry..just like that.

Jo just didn't get it. She didn't get any of it.

And what she didn't get the most was why her heart still loved him?

But her mind kept asking her, what she couldn't figure out, why would he torture her like this?

After everything she had been through today, "Did he really think he was just going to be able to say sorry?"

And well, she started to feel sick, it only reminded her of Peckwell, and how he had said those exact words, so quickly, so suddenly. And well, she had wanted to believe him too, and she thought quickly, and tried to forget, just as quickly about how that had turned out.

That is as far as she got in thought though when suddenly, she had suddenly just stopped thinking at all.

In mid stride, Jo was really just focusing on making it to that door, and she was almost there but suddenly, as if every force possible was going to keep her from getting out that damn door today, her feet had instantly became like paper weights and with all the thoughts and thoughts and thoughts. She was sure she was going to throw them all up.

She didn't realize she had stopped to grab a hold of a wall though and that's when, she then knew for sure, she was never going to be able to make it through that sliding glass.

And as if she couldn't feel worse already, she didn't yet know she was going to all too soon.

She was standing there searching for the strength to finally walk out of those doors when, she in fact did need a hospital.

Trapped within such a sick feeling, she couldn't quite catch her breath, and was paying absolutely no attention to anything that was going on around her, when all of a sudden, something that she knew she was already going to expect to happen, happened, and was trying to do only nothing but get away from it actually happening.

If only she could think right though, she was starting to feel light headed.

Yet, once again, her day took her totally by surprise because this was definitely not what she thought was happening but as she was regaining her composure, trying to get ahold of herself,

She felt someone grab her from behind.

Little did she know, Alex had followed her, "obviously", and had seen her literally using herself to hold herself up against the wall.

He thought for sure as though her legs were not going to give away.

So Alex made his way over, to do what he thought needed/had to do, but it, quickly, crazily, turned into what Jo thought she needed/had to do.

Jo was so delirious, she had no idea what was going on, or what was about to happen, but she knew that "Peckwell" had just found her standing there, especially more vulnerable than before.

So Jo was saving her life. She was fighting, kicking, screaming, whatever she had to do to just get away this time.

"Please just leave me alone, just please leave me the hell alone. You're hurting me again. Please she cried out. Just stop hurting me and let me go. Never Again! Bastard! She was so half-way in half-way out of it right now.

Her eyes were clamped shut, her ears were ringing, and she was certain she might actually pass out, freaking out, but she was going to do what she had to do to get away,

And she was just going absolutely nuts..

Just as they witnessed, Avery and Stephanie came running up in what they thought was an attempt to save Alex and Jo from just fighting and killing each other. They both knew all the reasons but damn they never saw this coming.

And neither did Alex!

But, obviously, neither did Jo! And that's when she realized just how nuts she was actually going.

Avery had started to help to control her thrashing, all the while,

Alex, still just had his arms wrapped around her from behind. He had just been trying to get her to slow down, calm down, sit down, anything down, really, because he had no idea what had just happened.

Jo finally realized someone else was there and she was still so out of it, but Avery had managed to get her to release her grip and pulled her back off him.

And, in that moment, Jo was actually kind of "Thankful" it happened how it did, and that someone had witnessed "Peckwell" trying to attack her this time.

And she was opening her eyes to tell him he would never lay a hand on her again, and that's when she, well, kinda, half-understood, what had just played out.

Avery and Stephanie had not just helped to save her life.

If anything, they were probably trying to save, "Alex's life" from her, she put together still so confused.

And if there were ever a time when she needed some of all her damn thoughts, this was it!

Words.

Words.

She couldn't come up with any.

There had to be something, if only just one,

That she had already, thought, knew, wrote, sang, doodled,

Something! Just some kind, any kind, of word, she could figure out to say.

She could not believe what had just happened. "I can't believe I..", she started to think..

And that's when she finally came up with a word and that was the one word, she now couldn't quit thinking about.

Alex.

But, she, not only, didn't know how to start with it, she didn't know how to end after it.

She felt so terrible.

And well that's when she noticed him staring at her in what she thought was a, she was crazy stare,

And well, well,….well,

Yep! Enough thinking! There were no words. Just run and run like hell, Jo told herself.

And so, she did as fast as she could, all considering, but her friends were all just still in shock, and so she managed.

Alex stood there as he was sure she just disappeared in a blink of his eye because, in fact, just like that she was gone.

And he couldn't help but think that it wasn't just her physical form that had just disappeared.

But he was thinking it the same way in what Jo was thinking. He didn't think she was crazy. He understood it.

After everything he had her through today, had he really expected her to just forgive him?

Stephanie had run after Jo and Avery was just standing there letting Alex, he hoped, relax a little before either were probably speaking up

And when Alex did all he managed to say was that "She's gone!"

Meredith had been right, he thought. Maybe she would, in fact, never be able to believe him because along with everything else, her trust for him was definitely gone.

"She's gone", he repeated out loud again.

"What do you mean, she's gone?" asked a forth coming Meredith, alongside Christina.

"You were right, Meredith, she'll never trust me again. She thinks I want to hurt her", Alex told her!

He was just so ready to figure it all out.

That's when Avery spoke up and asked "Did she believe you about Peckwell and all the rumors?"

"We never even talked about any of that, I confronted her, we were okay, for a moment, and then I could tell her emotions got her all worked up because she ran away, and so, of course, I went after her and I found her leaning against the wall, she was surely about to pass out. And well then, I knew I had to do something, so I came and just simply wrapped my arms around her, and she freaked out." Alex explained it all to them.

Apparently, they all knew, before he knew, that Jo was his person so he did confide in them.

Christina, Avery, and especially Meredith all stood there shocked.

So yes, it was still the same day but they all knew Jo loved Alex just as he did her.

And everyone knows what it likes to need space.

But that just so did not seem like Jo especially with everything else going on in the hospital, she wouldn't want to draw more attention to herself.

Nobody could answer it for Alex, Jo, or themselves.

Really, not one of them had any idea of what the hell was going on.

And none of them liked the feeling. And then they all imagined how Jo must be feeling.

"Alex, you have to find her!" Meredith tried to make clear.

But Alex already knew that. And he wanted to find her.

His problem now was that he was going to have to confront her way differently than he would of ever dreamed. He couldn't believe when he woke up this morning that Jo was his person and now, she was scared of him?

"What a day?" Alex thought.

And then he thought harder again about what kind of day it must have actually been like for Jo.

He probably would have pummeled someone too when she just clearly wanted a little breathing room.

"Go find her," Meredith said again.

And just as Alex was about to debate whether to give her, just a little, time this time,

Stephanie walked around the corner with a worried look stating only she had no idea where Jo had gone to.

"She was gone before I made it around the corner so I didn't see which way she went but I looked everywhere I could think of. I checked the bathrooms, lounge, on-call rooms, and she was nowhere. She's somewhere, you guys, seeing everyone's now worried faces. Jo looked terrible, Stephanie admitted, so she can't just be walking around. She's probably just hiding out for a bit. She got beat up in the elevator pretty bad with you earlier Alex and well with all the emotional s…

"RED FLAG" Finally, after this already exhausting day,

Alex, had never been so quick to jump and cut someone off in his life, and he almost felt bad thinking he scared the piss out of Stephanie but still he had to make sure he heard what he thought he heard.

"What do you mean beat up from the elevator?" He blurted out immediately.

Stephanie, now more confused than ever, didn't know what to say and before she could have anyway Alex asked again showing his impatience,

"What the hell do you mean, Stephanie? Jo told you that she got hurt in the elevator with me this morning?"

"I'm not sure she.." Stephanie started quickly, to defend her friend. But she didn't want to say something that, quite possibly, she was just not supposed to say. With everything going on, she was just so lost!

"Then what was it? What did she tell you? Tell me, please, Stephanie! None of this makes any sense. I have got to…No I need to, know what the hell is going on", Alex practically begged.

Seeing the seriousness in his eyes and hearing it in his plea, Stephanie decided to tell him what she knew. "Well, now, that I think about it", she shifted her feet awkwardly, kind of feeling bad about how it had all played out. And there was the fact that everyone was staring at her.

"Stephanie, please.." Alex pleaded with a gentle sigh.

And so she finished, "I found Jo in the bathroom earlier and well she, she didn't really say anything at first because I never gave her the chance, I see now. But I had caught her looking at some nasty war wounds. I don't even know why now, but I guess I had just assumed they were from being tossed around in the elevator and so when I implied it, she didn't deny it. And well now that I think about it, she was going to ask me for something. And possibly even tell me something, but she was headed towards the door, so I cut her off by preparing her for what I heard everyone talking about, all the rumors and stuff. So she never got to finish. I had no idea as to what happened." She finished, feeling rather terribly.

Everyone now stood there looking more confused than ever.

But when they looked at Alex, the last thing he had, was a confused look on his face.

All of a sudden, that quick, it hit him like a ton of bricks.

And well, he was going to hit Peckwell like a ton of bricks.

"What a damn day for Jo", he thought and he wasn't denying his part because he knew he should have been the one person there for her and he wasn't.

He could put the entire day's events together in his head.

He stood there thinking but he knew he was right.

"Jo had no bruises this morning. He trusted himself in knowing that because they were so closely entangled together in that elevator, that he, he, he just trusted himself, he would have known. And then after what happened with them in there, and he just ran off on her and left her like that just as everyone has always done her.

Of course she didn't trust him.

But he still wanted to match the pieces so he thought from there on, there was what happened between her, him, Peckwell, and Meredith.

"If she denied little Ben's case, even after the elevator incident, it wasn't because she was trying not to be friends with him, she was scared of Peckwell.

Because, even though, Meredith made it seem like what they had done today was really great, he had never got why Jo picked her in the first place, she was scared of Peckwell.

And then with everything else getting thrown around in her face, she was scared.

Here he had been scared to just openly admit that he loved her and she was actually been being scared for her life.

And then the final part had hit him the most bluntly.

Where he was standing right now, his current situation, it was because she thought he was Peckwell.

She probably didn't even assume I would have run after her, he thought, feeling even more terrible.

And then her words he remembered her saying "don't hurt me again"

He thought that they were meant for him but they weren't and even though hearing her say it about him hurt like hell, he wanted to make say who she had actually been referring to, hurt worse than hell.

What else did he not know about?

Alex was more pissed than he ever been in his entire life, and although, he would make Peckwell pay, he had to find Jo first.

Everyone was standing there waiting for Alex to explain to them what the hell was going on.

They could all tell by the look on his face, he knew something!

But it only took one word "Peckwell" and then they all knew.

And Meredith had actually started to cry "She tried to tell me earlier too Stephanie, and Peckwell found us, hiding out, talking, in the O.R. I made him go away because I thought..I never thought, she just felt so bad for her.

Even Christina had admitted that she too had saw Peckwell rather forcefully pulling her away this morning and didn't care to stop and ask because she stayed out of intern drama. But now, she felt terrible as well.

Avery now realized that, the few times he thought he heard her say Peckwell while he was trying to break up her and Alex's fight. But thought she was speaking of him, instead of to him. He just felt bad about the whole situation too.

"Everything she had gone through in just one day", they each thought.

They all felt so bad but now they knew what all had to be done; To finally figure this shit out with, nothing short of, within the rest of the day.

And it had already started to be done, they each realized as they came out of their own, and they saw no trace of Alex standing anywhere around them.

Alex started throughout the hospital just in case she was still there, he had to make sure.

And it was then we he rounded the corner that his heart dropped yet again at just the thought.

He saw a nurse admiring Flowers.

Flowers! How could have he forgot about the flowers?

Realizing his stupidity even more, for not realizing how wrong everything seemed with Peckwell today, He walked up to the nurses' station and asked "Who are the flowers for?"

"Jo Wilson, is what the card says, the nurse replied. Do you know her, because they've been here for a while now."

And then again, that quickly, he realized,

Jo had not only been dodging him but had been dodging Peckwell all day too. And if he still hadn't given her the flowers', then he was still looking for her.

Had they even talked about the rumors yet?

Alex figured not, assuming the facts and all.

But putting all that together too, made him realize one thing only,

He had to find his person. And he wanted her safe in his arms, not only right now, but for the rest of their lives.


	7. Chapter 7

Jo was for sure that she wouldn't even have enough energy to even try and make it out of the hospital anymore. Her body ached so badly. Her mind ached so badly. But nothing compared to how hard her heart was breaking.

There were just so many doubts in life and as hard as she pushed herself from being that way in any shape or form today. She seemed to, be really doubting, her life again right now.

How was she ever going to have a normal life here in Seattle?

How was she ever going to have a normal career here at Grey-Sloan?

How was she ever going to have a normal thought here with Alex?

Of everything that she had been through today, she was the one feeling the worse for sure, and she couldn't help stop the look of his heart breaking face playing over and over again in her head.

When Alex had confronted her, the first time, before her freak out! He didn't have to say a word, which he didn't. And really, which she didn't either.

And it was because, in her heart, she truly knew that she loved him no matter what.

She loved him and as much pain as he had really brought on her that day, she knew she couldn't do the same to him.

That's why she stood there saying nothing just looking so deeply into his eyes.

She knew that as much as she wished, there was no way in hell that she would be able to take back this whole day. So now she just wished she could just take back that moment and let him finish what he had to say.

She had just been so scared the entire day. She had just been being pulled this way and that way and well, like she had been trying to do all day, she just needed some time to be alone. So when Alex started apologizing, oh so quickly, she did what her mind rationalized, and she ran like Hell.

She just didn't and couldn't comprehend everything that had actually gone wrong and well, it scared her.

She didn't really think that Alex would have chased after her, he hadn't been all day. So, why then? Why at that moment did he have to be there again?

She totally understood the expression in his eyes after she attacked, he was just so hurt, and she thought for sure it had to do with the fact that he thought she was crazy. And that he, most definitely, would not want to be around her anymore.

Just more confusion, in all this time, and all she just simply wanted was a little time.

She knew that there was no way she could possibly be mad at Alex forever because her heart just wouldn't simply allow it to.

But now, everything was all twisted again and she couldn't help but blame herself.

Obviously, she knew Alex wanted to talk to her and her to him. But she just didn't want anything else clouding her brain yet. She hadn't even officially handled everything with Peckwell.

Jo was just trying to figure it all out on her own so that she could become the strong, fully independent, woman she wanted to be.

So she sat there contemplating what to do, her head was still spinning, and she was doing everything she could to keep her stomach down, her nerves were just completely and utterly shot.

She was sure that as hard as she had just been trying to leave the hospital all day, she knew it wasn't a possibility, she was sure that she wouldn't actually be able to conger up the energy to move let alone deal with anything else. So she had to find a good place to hide, somewhere that no one would ever think to look for her.

And it was then that she knew exactly where she was going to go but she still had to get there without being seen.

So, she made her way up from her crouched form that was of all places just sitting there hiding in a linen closet. If she would of only knew that she would have been better off there then.

And so, Jo barely let her head peak out the door and saw that the coast was clear and so she tried making her way to where she knew she wanted to go.

All the while, she was trying to keep herself together the best that she could so that any passing byers would not possibly call her out.

There was no telling what she looked like.

And especially right now because, of course, the day was not over yet and so with Jo's luck, and it's oh so un-timely fashion, she now knew that her day was in fact about to get way worse.

And now she knew for sure that she had to look like death ran over.

That was in fact how she felt when she had cautiously rounded the corner to see Peckwell anxiously rounding another corner.

She had tried to turn and run away but he quickly caught up to her stopping her right in front of a nurses' station.

Good thing, she thought, because hopefully there wouldn't be too much confrontation with witnesses around.

Bringing her back to thinking about how she had just freaked out on Alex.

But at least, Peckwell hadn't just completely snuck up on her just then she told herself.

She was a bit more prepared and she thought maybe, she could just tell him what she had to say and that he would, maybe, just maybe, take it. And decide that he would, in fact, leave her alone.

But before she could get the chance to say anything Peckwell cut her off first.

"There you are Jo, you know I have been looking for you all day."

He was actually trying to be charming though instead of mad like she thought he would be for everything that had happened today. Especially with the rumors and all, who knew what to think anymore?

It all disgusted her.

And yet, he still went on trying to play prince charming, of course, thinking she wouldn't care about the evil disguise.

Jo could read through it all. Did Peckwell really think that she was really just going to forget about everything that he had done to her too. She only needed one guess though.

She thought about looking down to make sure that her name tag didn't say "welcome mat" but before she could Peckwell started talking again about how he had something for her.

She, for oh so many reasons, only obviously to her though, could have cared less and spoke up for herself by saying,

"Look Jason, I have had a long day and I really just want to be left alone and alone for good at that. I don't think you and I.."

And that's when he cut her off "Jo, I know you're playing around so whatever, come over here so I can give you your surprise."

Jo knew it had been a fat chance that Peckwell would take it well, considering how possessive he had become in just one day. But at least, she had said what she needed to say. He had been speaking in his fake way, pretending calmly, so she had talked back to him in her serious way, pretending calmly.

The last thing she wanted was confrontation but at least if there were, she had witnesses, so Jo was actually glad to be closing this part of her day,

Or so she thought.

Peckwell went to grab her by the arm and Jo pulled back instantly.

Peckwell, although an idiot, could actually tell by the fierceness in her eyes that she was, in fact, not playing around.

And only a second had went by before he had her pushed up against the nurses' station about to demand the that he knew the reason she had changed her mind and that he was not about to let her to.

As Jo looked around, she could not believe what she was seeing/telling herself. After doing nothing but being alone all day, the one time she thought/needed someone to be there, there was no one there at all.

"Damn her luck" she cursed.

All the nurses' were making rounds but she was sure someone would walk up at any minute.

But she hadn't got lucky yet, so Peckwell continued "Look at you, Jo, you're a mess! Obviously you're not thinking clearly. I know you have been talking to Alex haven't you? No, I know you have. I should have kicked his ass right then and there earlier when he was trying to talk to me. And haven't you heard all the rumors that Alex spread around about you, so you would never go back to him, I know. And well, I know because, you are mine and I will not have it any other way."

And then, it hit Jo like a ton of bricks and not that she even pretended now that she couldn't possibly feel any worse today, she did.

If there was one thing she had left at the moment it was enough common sense to know that Peckwell was an absolute idiot and that he had just told off on himself.

She replayed what he had just said over again in her head.

Alex "tried" talking to him earlier. Why would he be trying?

But she all of a sudden knew why! Everything she was reading in Alex's eyes' earlier before her freak out was really that he was sincerely sorry for his part but he just didn't know how to explain that it wasn't all him.

Especially, she thought, when Alex still didn't know the whole truth about Peckwell. Alex had to have thought she still liked him.

Peckwell had been playing mind games with both of them all day.

And that added in with what she and Alex and both been thinking or thinking they thought. She couldn't believe it.

"Oh yea she could" she damned it again.

But still, she kept putting the pieces together.

Alex was trying to make things right with Peckwell so that things would be right for her.

Then it hit her again! And that's exactly what he was doing on the elevator this morning too. He didn't want her to get hurt because he did, in fact, not know how she had truly felt.

And then, with little Ben earlier, Alex was probably just wanting to get her alone so that they could talk.

They were best friends for sake!

And then when he confronted her in the hallway, even though, he truly was sorry, he just didn't know how to explain it all because he looked to be the complete ass, all the while, everyone was probably thinking her and Peckwell were still happy together and they probably were still thinking that they were still happy together too..

And that's when she knew, Alex may have just let her secret slip up in an attempt to just say how he felt about her to Peckwell, so that they could all just go back to normal and continue to be friends.

She herself had been contemplating ways to do it all day.

Jo never told Alex that no one else knew about her past, so how would he have ever known. She was blaming herself now more than ever for not figuring it all out sooner.

She knew that Peckwell had been the one to start the actual "rumors" about her and she knew for certain when he put it out there the way he just did.

Jo knew, that Peckwell knew, that Alex knew, he was going to do whatever he had to do to still be her friend. It was that simple.

Peckwell then started the rumors so that he could blame it all on Alex, assuming that she would look for comfort in him and finally hate Alex.

"How had she been so blind?" Jo asked herself.

She knew what she saw in Alex's eyes' in the elevator this morning and then even a little while ago.

He loved her! He truly loved her! But all along was just confused and scared, of all the not knowing, just as was she.

They had both been misunderstood all day long, with everything that was going on around everywhere, and really this whole time, they just needed to sit down and talk with each other.

But then she thought to the previous situation moments before, she saw the look in Alex's eyes'. They were full of such hurt, he had to of thought for sure that she was indeed attacking him. How was she ever going to explain?

But then the thought made her start to feel sick again, very sick. He didn't chase after her again after that. He probably had finally figured out that she really was just crazy. And it had to make Alex assume that not only would she never forgive him for what he had done that now she had to assume he would never forgive her for what she had done.

He was surely embarrassed around all those people. They probably thought she was attacking him for all the bullshit that she had thought he'd still actually done.

She felt terrible but at least she had finally started to wrap herself around some of her own mind.

But she wasn't able to for long because Peckwell started pushing her harder into the edge of the nurses' station.

"No matter what you're thinking, just don't forget who is in control here and let me tell you, there is nothing I will not do to have control of you." he then barked

And then he started to drag her around to the other side of the nurses' station for who only knew what reason.

"Where were all the damn nurses' she asked herself?" And she still wanted to cause as little confrontation as possible. And she knew for sure now that Peckwell had some mental issues, not just jealously issues, or whatever she thought it was at first.

So she assumed that maybe if she played along for a few minutes that she would have a chance to just simply walk away and then she could tell someone about him, without her getting hurt, and especially so that no one else got hurt.

She believed now that anybody who sat their mind to something could most definitely do it. She had been through a lot, and thought of herself as half-crazy, or whatever. And she was working on her way to becoming a successful Doctor.

But Peckwell, he was actually mental, and yet still here he was too.

"What a World?" Jo thought and, of course, it was followed behind and "What a damn day?"

But all she knew is that she could not keep her secret quiet any longer. She did not want Peckwell operating on anyone ever.

So as Peckwell then lead her to the other side of the nurses' station she couldn't believe that he had the nerve of all things to try and give her a vase filled with flowers.

"Seriously," Jo thought but she reminded herself that she had to play along. She knew it would only be for a minute.

Or so she thought.

It was then, with a totally fake smile that she opened the card and the saw the words she read that her smile became seemingly not so fake at all to Peckwell because she simply just wasn't smiling at all anymore.

And that's when he could tell that she was, in fact, serious about not wanting to be with him anymore.

But yet he still took her reaction the wrong way, "It's because you've already slept with Alex." I knew it he said, taking her totally by surprise.

And also much to her surprise, it was at that moment, in the exactly wrong time, that a few nurses' and intern friends' of hers started to appear.

Yet Peckwell still continued screaming at her. She had just continued to hold the flowers so he wasn't physically touching her and was only just screaming,

"You're no virgin, Jo! You are nothing but a pathetic little liar. You know that you and Alex have been sleeping together, and even after he said all that crap about you that's why you want to go back to him, isn't it Jo?, because you're nothing but a little whore! A dumpster diving, trash eating, garbage disposing, little Bitch and after everything I've tried to do for you, this is how you repay me?"

Jo could not believe, well she could believe actually, how he had just turned things around on her like that and had ended up making her look like the fool in front of everyone that was currently staring.

This is not how this was supposed to go. She thought everyone would catch her and Peckwell and they would be on her side. But, of all moments, the one moment everyone chose to appear was the one moment that was nothing for Jo but her, so now expected and un-timely, bad luck.

She could tell what everyone was thinking by the look on their faces. After everything that had happened with Alex today, they probably thought Peckwell was still trying to be there for her. And had even got her flowers!

But Jo hoped they would soon assume she didn't want the damn things because when Peckwell reached forward to touch her, she had thought he was going to actually end up showing his true colors.

And although that's kind of what she needed at the moment, it still brought her back to the on-call room earlier and it scared her.

And what actually happened probably made the situation worse.

Peckwell had only been going to try and apologize and caress her to put on a better show for everyone but, of course, that's not what she had thought so when he moved forward at her, she panicked and dropped the vase of flowers' sending glass everywhere.

Now everyone was really staring at her. She didn't know what to say or do. "How could she explain all this", she asked herself.

Especially to all the people in front of her that had just watched it unfold.

None of them really mattered anyway she told herself but she figured for sure now, no one, was going to believe her after everything that had already been going on about her today.

She only really cared about one person believing her in particular anyway but if he heard this, then there would be no telling what Alex would think, she told herself.

"Yep, way worse" she reminded herself yet again.

But by crazy coincidence, the only advantage, to it all was that she could now get away from Peckwell without him stopping her because she knew he wasn't going to show his ass in front of everyone.

She had to get out of there and find Alex.

She had to do what she could to make him understand. She hoped he would help her get Peckwell out of not only this hospital but every hospital in the World.

Alex was her answer to everything and she knew it.

Jo's mind was rattling though and the days' events started to take to an even way more worse turn than she ever really could have expected out of the day because "this cannot be happening" is the last thing Jo told herself before falling unconscious and landing in the glass on the floor around her.

Everyone was making their way towards Jo when Peckwell decided that he would take control, "Just back up everybody, she needs a little breathing room." And that's when he did what everyone else thought was just the right thing to do. Peckwell scooped her up in his arms and announced he was taking her to the E.R.

Or so they all thought,

As they watched as Peckwell disappear around a corner with Jo.

Either they all had to be making circles around her or Jo really was just gone, Alex thought to himself. And so he was going to still do, just what he had to do, go and find her.

He went and grabbed a few things out of his locker and was making his way to leave when he heard Meredith shout his name from down the hallway.

"Hey, I told Brooks, Leah, or Shain to let me know if they saw Jo, and I well I was in the bathroom, like I usually am. But anyway, I just got a page from Leah and it said that Jo was at the nurses' station by Cardio right now.

"Right now?" he asked hurriedly.

"Well, it was 5 minutes ago but I'm pregnant Alex, I had to pee. You know she's still close. Come on, let's go now. Then she re-thought about it and so Meredith turned to him and said, well you run and you run your Alex fast now, don't worry I will be waddling behind you as fast as I can."

Alex thought that he might actually laugh as he was suddenly already coming up on the nurses' station in Cardio.

"And damn he really was fast" he thought quickly. He was just excited that he was actually, maybe, just maybe going to be able to not only find her, but finally see her!

But what Alex did not expect, even though, he knew he should have expected it because within the walls of Grey-Sloan, only the unexpected, ever happened.

And not only that, it was always when you were least expecting it because when he made it to the nurses' station, it was definitely not at all what he had expected.

Leah had been clueless about the entire situation of pretty much the entire day besides knowing the rumors that she heard.

So she walked up to Alex and simply stated,

"You will never believe what just happened here."

**Note to Everyone: Okay, so I hope you all don't think I'm crazy. But I'm a single mom, who just moved into a new town, and I have no friends. Besides my kids, of course! But this is what I do when they go to bed. I know it's long and drawn out but I really do have a point that I'm trying/needing to make. I hope it's coming all out right. Let me know if y'all think it isn't. And, Thank You to everyone that is following and for the favorites. And especially to those of you who have commented. Y'all make me smile. And well, who doesn't like to smile? I've replied to everyone except the visitors and that's because it won't let me. Thank Y'all though! P.S. I'm already working on the next Chapter. **


	8. Chapter 8

"What the hell happened here?" Alex threateningly demanded anyone and everyone but no one was answering him.

He was sure he seemed like a lunatic and if he only knew yet that they really did believe he was. Well, most of them anyway because Avery, Stephanie, and Christina soon followed the quickly spreading rumors to that exact nurses' station where they knew all the chaos was playing out. Or that had played out, they soon learned.

They were the ones who thought that they could actually access the damage and they would be the ones' to know exactly what had happened. But it was definitely not exactly what they were about to process because with all these people around, someone would have surely saved Jo if it was in fact exactly how it looked. But then again, that's what they expected.

"But where the hell was Peckwell now? And most importantly, where was Jo?" they each asked each other with their faces because they had assumed the worst so no one wanted to ask with their mouths.

But they knew they all had to step in because Alex was asking/demanding/pleading every word he ever knew to just get someone, anyone to tell him what the hell happened all the while he was pacing, looking, observing, trying, to figure out any clue as to where the one person he cared about could be.

"Surely with all these people that someone would have helped her." Alex kept trying to figure it out. But he stopped when he saw the card from Jo's flowers' laying on the ground. He thought he remembered what it had said so not even knowing why he did but he bent down to pick it up.

Avery was making his way towards him to calm him down as was Christina but even as spunky as she was period, she had no idea what to make of all this.

Stephanie was trying to get what sense she could out of Shain and Leah but they told her what little they saw all the while Christina was watching them. And although she couldn't make out much of it all, she could hear bits and pieces and well there was something definitely weird going on here.

Christina remembered what getting anything out of Stephanie was like anyway so she looked around to see who she could spot and that's when she knew,

"Mousey, get the hell over here and tell me what the hell happened and I mean now." Christina knew she would spill the milk and contemplated giving her a new nickname but she didn't have time for that.

Brooks came ever so fast but at the same time ever so cautiously up to Christina because she was standing beside a still kneeled down Alex.

"What happened, here? Where the hell is Jo Wilson?" Christina demanded.

And although Mousey was sure about to spit it out and faster than what any of them had ever even thought possible.

She still started with "How did you know it was Jo?" she kind of half glanced down at Alex assuming well, not really knowing what to assume.

Christina noticing that Mousey had let her eyes' stray away now had the gut feeling something was wrong terribly, terribly wrong.

So Christina demanded again with such force in her eyes' that Brooks never inhaled, spoke between, or exhaled after spitting it out in what all seemed like one word.

She saw everything and so,

She had said everything she exactly saw.

"What?" Christina asked unbelievingly. Everyone thinks this was all Alex's..

But as she looked down to a give her friend what she was sure was probably going to be a look of sympathy, she never got the chance because Alex was not even there anymore.

"Damn he was Alex fast" she thought. And although she hoped that this situation would eventually lead everyone to the true facts she didn't know what to expect anymore. And that's when she remembered what also she had heard Brook's say.

Brook's had said she paged Meredith that Jo was here and that's why she was still waiting instead of following after Peckwell and Jo.

"So if she was expecting Meredith then where the hell was she", Christina asked herself. All of this had happened within minutes, she couldn't be that slow. Everything was and just felt so weird.

And she could have only hoped for Jo that she was headed to where everyone thought, so maybe Meredith heard first and already went to find her there too.

And then that's when she contemplated if Peckwell would ever actually take Jo to the E.R. He was stupid but she knew he wasn't that stupid to believe everyone could go on believing him like this. Really, she didn't know.

If only anyone could make their own sense of this because she then figured she shouldn't expect to know anything because she didn't know what to expect at all.

"Who the hell knew anymore and where the hell was everyone at? Or headed? Or whatever?" Christina asked herself so she knew she had to find someone that could help her settle this all and for right now she knew it would be, Owen Hunt, Chief of Surgery, her husband. She knew something bad was about to happen or was happening? She really had no idea where to go. So she had to find him and everyone else she had hoped while moving along her way.

Meredith could not believe everything that was happening right now. Or anything that had happened already but she believed what she heard, she had to considering who she had heard it from.

And now here she was waddling as fast as she could down a dark, half-lit, hidden tunnel that she knew all too well. She knew this hospital like the back of her hand.

And as much as Meredith hoped that it was, in fact, destiny that was going to make the way out of this all.

She knew she was within the walls of "Grey-Sloan" and she knew not what to expect.

She never had and she never would.

And she was certainly not expecting what was about to happen because little did she know that everyone's life was about to change.

Please be destiny she told herself again as she finally got what she had been waiting on, a sign that she was in that right place. And most of all, where she hoped destiny would want her to be.

And so here she was thankful that she was here either way right now because she knew Jo needed her help.

She could clearly see Jo needed her help and she was never more thankful to hear that Jo needed her help when she heard Jo let out a scream.

At least she was there, and Jo was alive and she would not be alone now. No matter what was bound to happen.

Alex as fast as he thought he was moving earlier had never felt as if he was moving so slowly. In his body and in his mind.

Alex for a split actually considered that Peckwell could have possibly had headed to the E.R. with Jo. After all, he was making everyone seem crazy but himself so he might possibly try and see it through, Alex wondered.

He had to wonder. He had to think.

That was his problem, with all the thinking he had been doing, he hadn't been doing it right. But how could he think like Peckwell when he was nothing like him.

Alex had hated to admit it but he had no idea that even as fast as he was running, he had no idea where he was going in this hospital and if Peckwell had already made it out with Jo, then he would really have no idea where he would go. But he would never stop looking. He could only hope that this could be one of Meredith's all new meaning of life fits' about destiny because he actually had no idea what to expect. But only the unexpected, he tried to keep reminding himself. And he didn't have to try hard because it was the absolute truth.

But, damn he was scared for Jo because he knew she was hurt and on her own. But he tried not to be scared anymore because he knew he wouldn't ever leave her that way.

And, damn he was so determined for Jo because he knew he had to find her and show her that no one would ever love her as much as him.

And then that's what he had remembered what Mousey or whatever her name was had said to Christina. Although, anyone with an opinion would have described most of what she had said as non-sense because it came out so fast. As if it was just one word.

But Christina and especially he had been so desperate to hear it that they made out every word of it. And that's when he remembered the word "virgin." And for reasons known only to him, he knew that out of everything going around today that the one little word was the biggest truth of all. He knew. How come he never knew he started to question himself.

It wasn't that he didn't ever care to know but really it was. He had in fact never cared to know about the thought of anyone touching him instead of her. And while he thought her and Peckwell, he quickly scratched that thought. He knew. And now he was more determined and it wasn't to have sex with her like most people would have assumed.

He was now more determined because he knew Jo was a true believer in love. And he wanted to be loved by her. She had never given herself to anyone because she was waiting on her person. And he knew he was that person and he was determined to find her and prove it to her every day.

But most of all, he was just anxious for Jo. He wanted her to know that she was okay and was safe forever. So Alex sat out with full force.

And for the first time in his life, Alex finally dropped all of the being scared.

And so he went on his way, determinedly and anxiously, to go get his person. But, still just not knowing, he was still headed in the same direction as the E.R. until his pager went off. At first he assumed but then he knew. So he turned and headed the other direction.

Christina was telling Owen about everything that had and was happening and although just standing there looking completely and totally confused. Hell, who else wasn't already?

"I can't notify the authorities just yet, at least, until I hear their statements so at least if you think they are in the E.R. then let's go see what we can't make of all this." Owen stated confidently.

Even though Christina knew he thought he was right. Who knew how this day would play out and the last thing she wanted was Alex being arrested for something he didn't do and then he certainly would not be able to help Jo, but she couldn't help but smirk at his thought and then told herself "if only it were that easy." None of this was that easy but she was sure she would have seen or heard something else along the way and she hadn't.

So as she walked through the E.R. doors, Christina, of all people, hoped she would see something like a flash mob proposal because she was totally not prepared for what was about to happen next.

She walked through the doors and like she had originally expected, no one that she was looking for was there anyway. But it was then she spotted Derek from across the room that she stopped to think. She had assumed that Meredith had been with him all this time and maybe she still had but she couldn't help the feeling that she actually hadn't at all.

And it was then when Christina saw Derek check his pager and look up immediately with a gut-wrenching look on his face that she knew something that no one had ever expected was about to happen.

"It is Grey-Sloan were talking about here!" she mused but she didn't have time to think about that because her pager then went off as well and she knew. And she looked at Derek. And they both knew. And Owen, as optimistically clueless has he had been, knew too. And now they all knew it was time to call the cops.

And in the process they all went to the one place they all had to be, where they were all being paged 911 from.

Meredith thought about not letting Peckwell know she had found them yet. And although she hoped that someone would sooner than soon find them down there, she didn't really know how it was all going to play out, so she could not waste another second. But she didn't want to get hurt, she thought, so until Peckwell was doing more than just carrying Jo, she was just going to quietly waddle her way slowly behind them.

Jo knew she had been slipping in and out of her mind all day and everything that she had possibly thought about today, it was never about to get more real than this.

It was dark, but she knew couldn't be dead. It couldn't end that easy for her, she promised herself of it. So it was when she saw a light at the end of what seemed like a tunnel, she thought she might be wrong.

But it was then she realized that Peckwell was about to make his way out the door with her. That's where the light was coming from. It was a door in some kind of dark part of the hospital. That was all she knew. Or all that she thought she knew until she made herself one last promise

"There was NO way in hell that after she had wanted nothing more than to make it out of a hospital door all day today, the last thing she was going to allow happen was for Peckwell to walk her out it.

So with everything in her, she did what she could to get out of Peckwells grasp. But he was strong and she was weak. And she had nothing to fight with,

Or so she thought,

Everything was so dark and she couldn't see anything but that's when she felt it and she knew it was just exactly what it was.

She had needed not only in this moment but all day long. So Jo swiped the name-tag off of her scrubs quickly.

She had never thought too much of it before except the fact that it was pretty cool. But now with it in her hands, she felt alive.

That name-tag proved everything about her,

She was Jo Wilson and what this name-tag did in fact prove and was about to prove even more that she was in fact a "bad ass chick."

So she gripped it with all her might and jabbed it into Peckwell's eye as hard as she could causing him to not only shout out in pain and stumble in the dark but also to release arms from holding her. She fell to the ground and although it hurt, it didn't!

She had just saved herself and it felt awesome but she still had to get through that door and she would have finally been able to say she set herself free. And although, she technically had, she hadn't yet because just as she was about to open that door,

The unexpected happened.

She heard a voice but it wasn't at all who she had expected. It was a woman's voice. It was Meredith's voice. And it was warning her to watch out. And so she did. But Peckwell was back on his feet trying to attack her.

Seriously? …Seriously? They both thought.

Alex, Derek, and Christina along with Owen all made their way fast to the page they received from Meredith that they all knew meant come and come now. And so they did. And so they were.

Alex and Derek both arrived at the same time.

They were Men who truly loved the Women they knew they were meant to be with forever. And well they combined were just too fast because they scared the crap out of the person who had been waiting on them.

But it wasn't Meredith. And it definitely wasn't Meredith with Jo like they had both expected.

They knew now they were surely going to break the speed of lightning if not while breaking Peckwell's bones all in the process. They couldn't believe who was standing in front of them and more importantly they didn't expect what they were about to hear.

But, of course, they did Derek and Alex both knowingly looked at each other. This is "Grey-Sloan" were talking about here.

But more importantly, they had to finish hearing little Ben out..


	9. Chapter 9

"Tell us exactly what all happened" Alex kneeled down to little Ben who although had been paging them all non-stop, was rather out of breath now. So Alex sat him down gently against the wall and went to grab a wheelchair and an oxygen mask.

All the while Derek had been scoping out their surroundings. He knew that they were standing in front of a door that he had passed by countless times since working at the hospital. It was only a linen closet. He opened it quickly to look inside and he could clearly see that Meredith, Jo, or Peckwell weren't in there now.

But he could tell that someone had been in there because there were traces of blood on the floor in one particular area as if someone had been sitting there or just lying there for at least a couple of minutes because he could tell by the amount of blood that was actually there. He knew blood all too well. And there was a knocked over linen shelf that had scattered its' belongings all around. But he didn't go in yet because he knew without a doubt that it was a crime scene and of course so little Ben didn't see. Hopefully he hadn't already, Derek thought.

But none of this made any sense. If there was a struggle and there was no one there. Then where was everyone?

If it was Jo's blood and Meredith had witnessed Peckwell carrying her in there with her then he knew she would have had time to go and get help.

But what if it was Meredith's blood? The thought made him sick to his stomach. But how would Peckwell manage to get Jo and a Pregnant Meredith out of the hospital without being seen.

That was the question that was driving everyone crazy anyway.

No one knew where Peckwell would take Jo because if he had been headed in the direction of the E.R. like everyone had originally thought then of course no one would try and stop him whether they had witnessed the incident or not.

And Peckwell would have had to know that he wouldn't be able to carry Jo out the E.R. doors like that or any other door for that matter without being noticed. He would have never made it to his car. It was still half daylight. It was a hospital people were usually carried in that way.

So Peckwell might have been dumb enough to try and hide Jo in a linen closet but what would be the point of that? Someone would have soon found him, her, or them both. And he would have still got caught.

What could crazy Peckwell have actually tried and planned for all this? It didn't make sense. None of it made sense because where the hell was everyone?

If anything that he expected had just happened had in fact happened then this would have already played out way differently.

But every part of this hospital had some kind a door that led somewhere, or had a story behind it, or most importantly a way out of it he actually replayed Meredith telling him those exact words once. But, still he didn't know what to think.

But he hoped he was about to get all the answers that he needed because he soon saw Alex making his way back with the things little Ben needed.

Christina and Owen made their way up to them as well and Christina had started talking before she ever even stopped walking "What the?" Then she saw little Ben was there so she stopped and watched what she said.

"Where's Meredith? I thought she was the one who paged us here." She asked as calmly as she could not wanting to work up an already seemingly exhausted little Ben.

Derek was going to tell her the same thing that anyone could have made of the situation. What exactly it all looked like. That they still had not a clue.

But before anyone could say anything, little Ben give the thumbs up that he had got enough oxygen and so Alex removed the mask from his face. A million guesses and they would still need more to figure out exactly what had happened but then little Ben started to speak.

Jo or Meredith couldn't quite comprehend what all was happening. It was so dark besides the little light that had been reflecting from the other side of the privacy glass door and it was starting to fade away.

Jo hadn't even known what to expect when she was going to open the door but she was somewhere dark and she knew light was on the other side of the tempered glass and it had a handle and it was a door.

But she could feel it she knew it led to the outside World. She didn't know how she knew but she knew and she used it to stop Peckwell but considering where they were at, well she had no idea where they were, so she assumed no one else had known it what was there from the inside and possibly the outside, all considering.

After being trapped all day she knew that that door led to her freedom. And she had almost felt it until Peckwell had managed to stop her. And she would have never left Meredith of course upon finding out she was now down there too. "And how did she get down here?" Jo wondered. If there were anytime throughout this long damn day that she thought she could actually be dreaming, this would definitely be it.

But Meredith did know where they were at and as far as she'd had known she may have been the only one still alive that actually did.

But what Meredith also knew was that there was one other door down the dark hall that had a small confined room behind it. She hadn't been in there in years and with it being so dark she knew it would be hard to find but she had to try.

Peckwell was screaming and cursing words at Jo and kept trying to pull her closer and closer towards him so that he could gain better control.

Peckwell had a good hold of her but she was not going to give up without a fight. Meredith was there and she was pregnant. And that was all Jo needed to tell herself so she was using every single ounce of energy that she had so that he couldn't get complete control over her.

And that's when Peckwell's own words rang in her head.

And she knew she wasn't about to give him the chance.

Peckwell had both of her arms and continued pulling her so she knew what she could use that she still had control of, not only to get a second to possibly get away, but also to remind him that this was the start of forever for him not being able to control one of the many things that he thought he could.

And so she revved back her knee and she did it with more force than the forces that had been keeping her from making it out a simple damned door and so she simply rammed it as hard as she could straight into his now very un-lively hood.

And she got him good and real good because he instantly dropped to the floor giving her a chance to get away. But she knew she had to find Meredith who she couldn't see at all headed the other direction because it got darker and darker as she ran from the light.

So Jo was running as fast as she could down the dark tunnel or hall or whatever it was. She had no idea where she was because she had been slipping so in and out of it the entire time.

Jo just wanted to find Meredith and get the hell out of there but she soon heard Peckwell making his way up off the ground and he was headed her way screaming that she better come back there.

Jo's heart was racing so frantically and she was sure she had to have been in a nightmare now because although they called him Peckwell. It was in fact, Jason Meyers, running after her.

"What a combination" Jo thought considering the situation but she just kept moving as fast as she could all the while now debating if she wanted to actually find Meredith now because she didn't want her being around if Peckwell were to catch up to her.

And that's when Jo heard "Found it" and it was coming from Meredith.

"Jo come on, hurry, hurry" Meredith said with a pleading yet encouraging voice because Jo was sure she skipped in one step to where she made out Meredith's voice to be coming from. And she could now feel Meredith who had instantly grabbed onto her arm and pulled them through the door she had been looking for. She had been shimming her way along the wall trying to feel for the door handle because she knew it would be hard for either one of them to take down Peckwell alone in the dark and well she knew what was behind this door.

They all had let a million different scenarios play through their head already. And no one had any idea what little Ben could have possibly seen, or know, or even he was going to be able to manage to say all of it.

They were all waiting with such anticipation but they needed to know everything and even though this little guy was the last person that any of them would have ever thought knew anything, he held the answers to what they hoped was all their questions.

But he was a kid and well kids think they know it all so he told them exactly what he knew. Little Ben, once again, let his actual big voice be heard and told everything just as kids do in their kid way.

So everyone was just preparing to match the pieces as he went along and that's all they could try and do so they listened intently as little Ben started,

"I had got bored cause usually Dr. Jo comes and plays with me around this time. And when she didn't make the play earlier, I figured I would go find her and tell her that it wasn't the other lady that I wanted playing her part. I didn't want her feelings to be hurt."

"Damn this kid is really smart and definitely a ladies man. Alex may have to watch out for him." They all thought quickly looking at Alex but he was clearly thinking the same thing.

That was one answer they already knew so they waited for the next,

"And umm.. I was just walking when I saw Dr. Dummy! He's the one that I really don't like Dr. Jo talking to. Remember him, Dr. Alex?

"Yes, I remember Ben." Alex said with a comforting smile. He had thought about telling him Dummy wasn't a nice word but it was the truth and well he would just use the excuse that they didn't have time.

"Well he was carrying her and I thought she was sleeping because I couldn't really see her but I thought maybe that's why she missed our play time. So I followed them thinking I could get Dr. Dummy to let me talk to her."

Damn this kid was a charmer they all thought but still they were waiting on the rest.

"And I watched him carry her behind this door and so I followed them over here. And when I made it here, I was just going to open it and that's when I heard Dr. Jo crying so of course I was still going to go in there to ask her if it was because of the play. I had to know. So that I could cheer her up"

Damn this kid was going to make some woman very happy one day they all continued in their thoughts as he was continuing,

"And then I heard Dr. Dummy screaming at Dr. Jo. And well my mommy and daddy fight sometimes and even though I know I shouldn't listen, I do. So I wanted to listen to see if I knew what it was about so that I could make sure Dr. Jo didn't feel that way ever again."

"Damn Really?" This kid was good but with all the passing thoughts they still were clouded by worries and so they waited on

"And then I heard some noises and all of a sudden I heard nothing so I knew they were done fighting just like my Mommy and Daddy always are and so I knew everything was okay and I was going to open the door and ask her to please come and play but then the Dr. who has the baby in her belly ran up and stopped me."

Finally, at least they all now knew that Meredith had in fact come across Jo and Peckwell. Another answer down, they all thought. But they still needed way more.

"The nice Dr. told me I was very brave for wanting to help Dr. Jo feel not sad and that Dr. Jo wouldn't want me to see her upset. So she told me to go find help and that I would be Dr. Jo's hero and of course I wanted to be her hero so I went to get help and I turned around to see the nice Dr. lady open the door but I couldn't see what was behind it because she has a really big belly.

But shut the door right after and came and showed me how to use her cool pager and she told me I would be the good-guy and the hero if I listened to everything she said. She told me no matter what don't open the door and she promised me that all of you would be here soon. And it worked. I get to be Dr. Jo's hero now right, Dr. Alex? I know you love her but I love her too. Little Ben said excitedly starting to get a little short of breath again."

Although, they still didn't know what had happened. The last thing they wanted was little Ben getting all worked up so Owen took the initiative to offer to take little Ben back to his room so he could get checked out by a nurse.

Alex knowing exactly what to say to put him at ease told him "Ben, you are in fact Dr. Jo's hero and I want you to go get some rest so that you can come up with the best play ever for Dr. Jo and I to do with you because she is going to be so happy knowing that she has the best hero ever, okay?"

"Okay" little Ben replied in an excited but sleepy voice.

And with that Owen went to take him back to his room.

Yet still no one knew what to think! Derek had already looked behind the door and everyone else had enough sense to know that they weren't in fact in there because they wouldn't still be standing there.

What all were they supposed to make of this now?

They were sure they were all going crazy or dreaming or whatever because if little Ben did in fact see all three of them go in there and he didn't know what was behind the door or that it was a closet or anything, he was just sure that he was supposed to wait right there.

Meredith wouldn't have let him witness them coming out like that or witness anything he shouldn't at all for that matter so where the hell did they go without him seeing?

And that's when they heard it, the last thing they had ever expected but they would believe anything they heard instead of just going with they disappeared into thin air.

Little Ben had Owen stop pushing him and said "Wait one more thing I forgot, the nice Dr. lady told me to tell the daddy of her baby to remember what she said about the hospital doors' and to look for it!"

And Derek said back "Little Ben you are everyone's hero!" And with that little Ben let out the biggest smile ever intent on going to come up with the best play ever.

Derek waited until little Ben was gone and then he told Christina and Alex that he knew exactly what they had to do.

Alex had no idea what to expect Derek to say but he was ready to expect it because he could tell by the look on Derek's face and so he stated what he hopingly thought,

"We're going to get our persons'?"

"We're going to get our persons'" Derek said confidently.

Jo and Meredith had never dreamed that they would actually be relieved to be standing in a dark creepy room alone but at least they had managed to get the door closed behind them before Peckwell could follow them in.

But that room had been down there for, well as long as no one had actually known, and it was very unkempt and old.

So they knew that Peckwell could possibly break down the door. But there was an old light in there and Meredith prayed that she could find it and that it still worked. She knew if she could find the light they could find something to possibly defend off Peckwell.

Meredith let out an almost excited screech when she found it and even more for the fact that it still worked. Without saying anything, they both knew that it was definitely something to be excited about but they didn't want Peckwell hearing anything they said.

But the banging on the door subsided and they could hear him walk off but they knew it was probably to find something to get in the door with.

Meredith and Jo then looked around and they knew they could come up with a plan.

"What is the place?" Jo whispered while taking in her surroundings.

And so Meredith told her "I have spent most my life in this hospital and I used to wander a lot. And well, when I was a little girl, I was hiding once because I didn't want to get in trouble for something. And I was hid in the same linen closet Peckwell had taken you in earlier. And it just so happened I found it. I used to come down here a lot when I wanted to be alone. I used to take charts and bring them down here and study just so I knew what the words meant. I guess you can say I started my own career down here."

Jo looked at her and tried to fake a smile but Meredith knew exactly what she was thinking and told her "Don't worry Jo, none of this situation ruins any special meaning that I do have to this place because I know now that it is in fact a part of destiny" She said with a slight smile.

"Did Peckwell know about this place already?" Jo asked trying to shake the creepy feeling she had thinking of him doing well whatever he had planned to do.

"He couldn't have" Meredith replied and then quickly explained how one of the linen shelves had to be moved.

Jo had been so in and out of everything so she was still so confused.

"So his plan throughout this all was to leave me in a linen closet?" Jo asked not fully understanding.

"I have no idea what he had planned to do. If anything I thought he would have left you there and ran and hid like hell or took you to the E.R. like he told everyone. He had to have known that he would have never made it out of this hospital with you." Meredith wanted to make sense of it too as she was trying to find anything to use as some kind of weapon.

And then all of a sudden Jo knew and she didn't know how she knew but she knew. She could hear Peckwell's voice ringing throughout her head and what he had tried to make clear all day. All the stuff about being ready, and him doing whatever he had to do to stay in control, and how he would have her either way.

Peckwell took her in that linen closet knowing that he had lost all control. And well, he wanted to take the one last thing from her that he could control, and that was advantage of her. She had only been remembering bits and pieces since she passed out at the nurses' station but she now remembered that he was trying to get all touchy-touchy in the closet earlier and she thought it was another fake show of his and even if it wasn't, that's when she started screaming and fighting back and that's when the linen shelf got knocked over.

She was now starting to put it all together, and so that's when he had to of found the hidden door. Who knew what he thought was down there? It had to be either a way out or a place to hide her body and the thought of both sent shivers down her spine.

But in knowing all this, she still kept it to herself and helped Meredith to find some sort of weapon they could use to their advantage.

"So how did you know I was in the closet?" Jo asked

"Because someone thought you were way too cool to be crying" Meredith said with another slight smile knowing it would lighten the mood if only for a moment.

And Jo knew without a doubt exactly who she was talking about it. She had been on her way to clean herself up and that's exactly where she had been headed before she ran into Peckwell at the nurses' station. He was such a bright kid and she knew she had to see him before she, well she didn't know how it was all going to play out. So she knew she had to make sure she seen him.

And that's when she realized little Ben did in fact make her day.

And then Meredith told her about she left her pager with him because she knew it wouldn't pick up down here.

"So Derek or Christina or both are on their way?" Jo asked trying to be nonchalant about it. She didn't know what all anyone knew about anything yet or what the one person she was the most worried about was thinking.

"Jo, our persons' are going find us, I promise" Meredith reassured her already knowing what Jo wanted/needed to know the most.

And with that Jo let out the biggest smile she thought she could ever possibly smile still considering the situation and all.

It quickly dropped though when they heard Peckwell return with something he had obviously found to try and break down the door with.

And Jo was now more determined than ever. This was part of her story and she was going to have it play out exactly how she wanted.

She had a brilliant idea!

Or so she thought…


	10. Chapter 10

"Oucccchhh" Meredith screamed!

"No, No, No" Jo then turned to her and said "This in a fact cannot be happening."

"I have no idea what to do, Meredith! Seriously!" she was really scared.

"You have to do what you have to do Jo and you know exactly what you have to do. And you have to do it now because, ooouuucccchh" Meredith then told her rather seriously.

"I don't know if I can" Jo seemed sure of it. But there was no way she could ever take the chance of letting Peckwell come anywhere close to hurting Meredith's baby.

So Jo then realized she knew she had to do it. And she had to do it now.

So she walked up to the door that Peckwell had been trying to break down and tried to reason with him from the other side.

She knew what she had to say to get him to understand her.

And as much as Meredith and Jo both could not actually believe the words that they knew were about to come out of their mouths. They knew they had to be said.

So Jo spoke up that Peckwell could hear her and told him the unexpected had happened.

Meredith was just simply trying to hold herself together.

"Jason, listen I know that this all seems like a terrible nightmare. But I'm ready to wake up now and I want to wake up with you. But I have just been so confused all day. With all the crazy lies that Alex has been filling my head with I just didn't know what to believe..

But I'm sorry. And it will never happen again. I want to go away with you right now and I want to be yours forever..

Meredith is in labor Jason and she. .I need your help. .so will you come in here and help her for me, please? And then we'll go away together forever, I promise Jason!

Please I need your help. I want you. And I need you...

You help Meredith and this will all be over soon and we will be free to live our lives. You know we won't be free if they find Meredith and her baby down here.

No one would ever stop looking for us. .So let's just do this, be done with it, and get these crazy people out of our lives."

Jo's words seemed to come out so quickly but so slowly at the same time. She was impatient and desperate all at the same time.

She could, in a fact, believe that after this absolutely now indescribable day that of all things, this is what she having to do.

Meredith didn't know whether she wanted to cry or throw up.

She could not believe either what was in fact happening. But what she did know was that she couldn't stop herself from screaming, "Oooouuccch"

And then it was followed by "It's time Jo. .We're ready. .It's happening. . Oooucch"

Jo then reached out to Peckwell again "It's now or never Jason. Are we going to do this?"

She then heard Peckwell respond on the other side of the door. "Let me in, Jo and I'll take control of this."

And that's when it hit Jo, this was shit was legit. This entire day had been oh so real.

Everything that had happened already, that was happening now, and was eventually going to happen relied solely on her.

She had to open that door and hope for the best. She knew she was doing the right thing. But she couldn't help and ask herself what Alex would say, think, or do if he knew what she was actually going to do.

In a way, she hoped that he might actually be proud of her for standing up for Meredith but most of all for Meredith's baby. She knew, no matter what, that he would soon find out the situation and then he would be able to help her, she knew.

But until then, Jo had to use what resources she had to solve the problems for her and Meredith at hand. And they had needed out of that room so badly.

Jo then turned to look at her scared and anxious new best friend, Meredith Grey, giving her what she hoped wouldn't be her last smile ever.

They were in the walls of Grey-Sloan and they knew to only expect the unexpected.

Alex and Christina followed an intent Derek into the linen closet. And although they could do the math and assume they were now looking for a door of some sorts, they were still trying to process everything that had went on.

Christina asked in a totally non-believing way, Are we really about to do this?

And not because she wasn't going to do it because Meredith was her best friend, and well Jo was kind of her friend, she guessed. Not that when and if all of this played out right that she'd ever admit it. But Jo was and she cared.

Christina asked only because she really could not, in fact, believe the facts.

And so she asked them all the while observing the wreck of the room and it all rolled off her tongue in just one long question because it was exactly that.

"Was little Ben a little boy really just the hero who just saved their persons' lives and now they were really walking into a linen closet that everyone knew about with a really hidden door that nobody knew about except Meredith and that Peckwell had assumingly somehow found and then carried Jo through to only who knows what for what or where or where for pregnant Meredith would be the only one who would have a chance to save her until they all only by fate figured it out and now they were looking for the door that they would all go through in search of the unexpected not knowing what to expect but in hopes of bringing them both back through it in only in expecting that they were even still down there?"

"Is that about right?" She felt she had summed it up nicely.

Yet, she still asked all the while watching the two men in front of her that were making their way to the other side of the linen shelf that was fallen in front of them.

And that's when they found the door. It was one that had actually been hidden on the floor and to the naked eye no one would ever see it. You had to be either on the floor literally or just know someone that knew it was there.

It could so go un-spotted by anyone forever, they each thought. And for Peckwell of all people to have found it at such an opportunist time was even just more bizarre for the team of the whole unexpected.

If only they all knew what they thought they knew then. Or thought they were about to know.

Here they all were! Straight to where the day's events' had led them all. And so Derek opened the door and right before they were all about to go in,

Derek and Alex looked to Christina and said at the exact same time "Yep that sounds about right."

So Alex went first and he then helped Christina down who was followed by Derek and when they got down there, there was complete silence and complete darkness. Did they expect that or not?

Jo then went to go open the door for Peckwell and her heart was beating frantically faster than it ever had before. Everything she had to do and everything she had planned to do depended on this moment.

But still, she knew not what to expect and as she reached for the lock she looked over to an actual expecting Meredith and knew she had to do it. So she could get them out of there.

I have to do this "Seriously" Jo mouthed to Meredith. And Meredith simply responded "seriously."

This was it. Jo un-locked the lock and opened the door.

They knew to only expect the unexpected.

Surrounded by complete darkness was such an eerie feeling but there was only one direction to go and so as they were about to go down it, they all stopped dead in their tracks when they heard Meredith scream.

Derek's heart raced.

Alex's heart raced.

Christina's heart raced.

This is definitely not what they had expected.

Or so they thought,

While they had never heard Meredith scream like that. They all knew with gut-instinct just exactly what that scream meant.

Derek and Alex both looked at Christina and without them saying anything at all, she knew what she had to do.

So Christina made her way back out the newly discovered door back into the linen closet for exactly that; Linens along with everything else she could possibly find.

Instruments!

Supplies!

Anything!

Everything!

She knew to expect the unexpected. And so she grabbed it all.

Alex and Derek ran throughout the long dark hall following only the screams of Meredith's voice. But that was it. That was all they heard.

Derek had to have thought the worst. How could he not? His mind was running ramped. Derek had never felt or ran with such conviction in all his life. His woman, their daughter, their baby, their family, their story! No matter what, he would do anything in his power to make her forget about this all and that was, in a fact, no matter what.

But How come they couldn't hear Jo?

Alex knew she would be freaking out in a situation down here considering the circumstances like this.

He remembered what she had been like just that morning when they were trapped in the elevator and while it was small and they were stuck in there, it was full of light and only he had been able to calm her.

So he knew she would really be pleading for help for herself, Meredith, and especially for the baby if she was in fact still down there.

And that's when he questioned if Peckwell could have possibly got away with her. He would then go to the ends' of the earth to find his person.

Alex had to have thought the worst. How could he not? His mind was running ramped. Alex had never felt or ran with such conviction in all his life. His woman, their lives, their present, their future, their story! No matter what, he would do anything in his power to make her forget about this all and that was, in a fact, no matter what.

Alex and Derek thought just alike and they could only hope their ends' in this would turn out just alike.

And then they found the place they both had been searching desperately for. The place they knew where Meredith's screams' were coming from.

That quickly!

"What a Day?"

All, in one day, all of their lives were about to change forever.

Stepping closer to what they now knew was a door,

They both looked at each other drew in a deep breath and although they thought that knew what to expect they would have never believed to actually expect any of it.

Not that they ever did, but what they were both actually about to see,

What would actually cause both of their heart's to not be believed.

And although Derek knew what he had to do,

He felt so bad for Alex.

And as fast as they had been moving all day, the step they were about to take through that doorway was definitely in the slowest motion they would ever feel.

And with all the wonders', worries', whys', and what's

Neither of them could formulate any word at all.

Christina projected her way rather confidently down the dark hall. Being the woman she was, she had planned, prepared, and produced enough stuff for anything that she thought would ever need to be provided for but it's when she saw what she saw she didn't know for what she exactly perceived.

No one knew.

And so all of her plans, preparations, and productions of enough stuff for anything she thought she would ever need to be providing for she still went on to believe.

And although Christina still knew what she had to do,

She felt so bad for Alex.

Alex could actually feel his heart being completely ripped out of his chest. He thought he would actually die right then and there but,

Alex still knew what he had to do,

So he followed behind Derek through the door without a clue.

Neither had said a word.

They could see Meredith was "actually" in labor and that she was "seriously, seriously" about to have a baby!

That's what they were both thinking they knew

And then they heard it!

"Seriously?…Seriously?…Meredith...

You seriously had to "really" go into to labor right now!"

And then they all knew. Or they thought they that knew.

But it didn't matter because both of their persons' were standing right in front of them.

So living,

So full of life,

So alive,

And even though they thought they knew, they were about to know more, that they

"In a fact" had two "Bad Ass Chicks"

**From Me: I already know! I'm terrible! Did it work? Did anyone believe that I would actually let Peckwell take Jo? This is one of the shortest chapters but it was definitely the most fun. If you read it back I hope y'all can see I dropped a few hints in there along the way. I know it was unexpected. That's why I tried to leave it kind-of short and to the point. But I never know what to expect! ;) Lol. This is just a short lead up to the next. "Seriously" I had to do it and trust me I could never stop here. I do believe in happy endings' Or so y'all think ;) **


	11. Chapter 11

Jo walked out from within a shadow and while at first...then she saw him! And she thought for sure that her heart had stopped beating. And Alex thought for sure that his heart had in fact stopped beating too.

They took one look at each other and knew that they were dying to be in love.

Alex could not believe.. Jo was right there? Jo was standing right in front of his very eyes'? And she was okay? And she was joking, all considering?

And she was beautiful. And she was gorgeous. And she was kind. And she was his. And he could be hers. And they could be each other's. And they were, in a fact, their persons'…Oh yeah he could definitely believe it!

Alex wasn't even thinking this all. His heart was just simply feeling it all as he "Alex fast" made his way from one step within the threshold of the door to having Jo wrapped completely in his arms, instantly!

And that's when he knew.

And that's when she knew.

"Their hearts had in fact not stopped beating because they were dying to be in love. But their hearts had now started beating because they were living to be in love."

And as if he had been holding that one breath, for his entire life he said "Jo, I have to tell you something."

And she, with the softest, kindest, simplest, yet greatest breath he knew he would always want to hear, Jo smiled "No you don't because I do too."

And they knew! They knew without words.

Not only the meaning of those simple words. But the meaning of this entire day, they knew without words.

There was no explaining, or wondering, or worrying, or assuming, or trying, or over-thinking, or under-thinking, or any kind of thinking for that matter, and most of all, any more kind of being scared at all.

There were in fact no words to describe to each other how the other felt.

Alex knew exactly how he felt looking into her eyes.

Jo knew exactly how she felt looking into his eyes.

That's all they knew… their stories… and how they felt.

They knew what this day had meant. It had been meant for them to be.

And what it also meant was for Meredith's baby to be.

Which she was having as they, well… not spoke.

Alex, although what he had considered before this that he was "The greatest Baby Dr. Ever!" He knew this would all change...it would change nothing he told himself.

He knew something's just weren't meant to be. At all!

And well, yea... everyone kind of knew what was said without saying too.

And they laughed. They all laughed. This was them.

So, of all places to be, Meredith was sure having that baby right then and there and started screaming "dark and twisty" this is definitely "dark and twisty" Derek make it stooopppppp!

Jo then helped Derek bring his baby boy into this World. Christina looked at Meredith and Alex although barely being able to take his eyes' off Jo, still looked away.

And then they would have all swore it was the loudest little guy that they ever heard.

He was making a very expected entrance in this very, unexpected place. And well most people would have freaked out..

Not Meredith, because as Derek lay her baby boy in her arms Meredith looked at everyone and said,

"He is starting exactly where I did… Just exactly where we all did… He is starting from the bottom and is going to work his way to the top."

"Yep soft and misty" Christina reminded her!

And they laughed. They all laughed. This was them.

Derek stood there by his person in a situation that he knew, in fact, could possibly happen to anyone. But it wasn't anyone. It was them. And this was their story.

Alex stood there by his person in a situation that he knew, in fact, could possibly happen to anyone. But it wasn't anyone. It was them. And this was their story.

"What are you going to name him?" asked Jo although she was totally in the "expected" moment. She was all about that baby. And Alex couldn't help but all about but notice. And he couldn't help but all about but smile about it.

Alex and Jo looked into each other's eyes' and without words they knew.

But Meredith was about to say something that not one of them had ever really, really, expected. At all! They thought they were prepared. Not even Derek had ever seen her well…he knew what not to expect!

There were no words. Yet there were oh so many amazing words!

She stopped sobbing and she was finally about to tell everyone and they were all about to listen and they were all about to do something that nobody but her had been doing all day.

Meredith started "I want to name him a strong name, something that he represents, something that I'm all about, something that we're all about, something that he'll stand for, so that he knows exactly who he is one day and so that he knows that he's extraordinary because of his persons' in his life. And you three are our persons'. I wouldn't be right here where I am if I hadn't had known you all..

Derek was certainly crying..

Jo was certainly crying..

Alex was certainly crying..

And wait, what?... Nope Christina was certainly not crying..

"Talk about soft and misty" You guys didn't even let me finish what I had to say Meredith teased.

The anticipation was killing them though..

So Meredith went on and "Well I've really been thinking hard about what to name him..

And well I couldn't really come up with just one.."

But how come they all had figured that?

And they laughed. They all laughed. This was them.

They were all waiting on the edge of their seats…

"And well, so I came up with four." Meredith said confidently!

"Four?" Alex and Derek, being Men, questioned her out at the same time.

"Who does that?" Alex spat out between a laugh and …well he... he then looked at Jo who looked at him and so he knew…

But yet he still managed to mouth and half shrug where only she could see "I didn't know"

And she laughed… And they all laughed... This was them.

"Yes four Alex, I told you I wanted to name him someth…" she started.

And Christina not even knowing what it was yet, said "Oh come on and spit it out already" with tears just pouring out of her eyes'.

And they looked at her and she looked at them…and they knew.. this was them.

So Meredith finished..

His first name is… "Greyson"... and it represents; Lexie, Mark, George, My Mom, and everything we have come to know without ever expecting it over the years.

Everything this hospital is and what it is and what all the people in it have helped and continue to help teach us.

And that's exactly who we are. It represents exactly where we started and exactly where we all end. Together!

But no one was crying or laughing anymore…this was real…this was them… and so they just listened..

Meredith then looked over at Derek… "My life started when I met you. You showed me how to me how to truly laugh, you showed me how to truly care, you showed me how to truly forgive, you showed me the way, you showed me what it was like to truly love not only others' but myself. Therefore, everything I have starts and will end with you.

You are my story! So his first name and last name represents all of you. You are such a beautiful person inside and out and I wouldn't change one part of my story because I am with you. I love you, our Daughter, and our Son, more than words can describe. Y'all are my life! And I wouldn't have my persons' if I didn't have you all!

Derek, Jo, Alex, and even Christina were sure that they never inhaled or exhaled between any of her words…this was them.

And Meredith continued on by looking at Christina who was in fact not prepared for this… "And Christina, his first middle name is going to be… "Christian"… and it represents you, my best friend, and the faith that you have always had for me.

You have always stuck by my side, no matter what! We have danced it out so many countless times and well everyone needs a best friend that they can learn with, and grow with, and laugh with, and love with. And you are her!

I Love You Christina more than words can describe. You are my life. And I wouldn't have my persons' if I didn't have you!

Derek, Jo, Alex, and even Christina were certain that they never inhaled or exhaled between any of her words…this was them.

And Meredith continued on by looking at Alex and Jo who were in fact not prepared for this…"And Alex, Jo, his second middle name will be… "Jolex"… and it represents exactly what and who you guys are. "Believers" because you and Alex, Jo, have overcome one of the ultimate challenges in life and that was to know and believe that you can be happy and live life extraordinarily no matter what.

What y'all represent is that love can withstand the unexpected. And that those who stay true to themselves and who take what they know and learn from it can in fact make the World a better place.

Y'all represent young love and that it does exist because there shouldn't be any thinking.

You just know.

And what you know you want is to love and respect that one person for the rest of your lives. Y'all are my life and I wouldn't have my persons' if I didn't have both of you!

Derek, Alex, Jo, and even Christina …Wait? Christina said what she thought they were all already thinking…"So we call him "Chris" for short right?"

But Alex thought what he thought they were all already thinking… "Are you kidding me? It doesn't get any better than Jolex!"

They laughed. They all laughed. This was them.

They were all each other's persons' within their own stories!

"Dr. Greyson Christian Jolex Shepherd" He was now part of their story!

Everyone should have their own persons' …they all knew because...this was them…and they all laughed…

"Life was Extraordinary!"

…Derek thought about it and asked simply, How come you ladies didn't wait on us guys to be your knight and shining whatever's earlier?

And so they simply stated the facts'…

They looked at each other knowing that they had to tell the truth and so Jo and Meredith said at the exact same time. "Because …She had to Pee"

"Seriously"

**Note: I know this doesn't have Peckwell but I didn't want to ruin good with bad. I'll explain him next in the final Ch. About their bad chick moment..I didn't want him in the baby story! I just wanted happy. I know it's short…no..words..still not used to the ending part. But it came out right, maybe? I'm just trying to figure it all out too.. Ya know? And well, if it makes even one person smile then I did what I wanted to do. We all need persons' in our lives! Hope everyone has a great night! **


	12. Chapter 12

_**From Me: Alright everybody, I have finally ended the story. Sorry it took me a little longer for the ending but as you are all about to see, I did a lot of explaining. As usual, I just hope it all came out how I wanted it to. And like I mentioned in the last chapter, I had planned to finish the rest of the story in one more chapter only but when I finished, I figured I should probably make it two. It's a lot. But I promise it eventually ends somewhere. I hope you guys bear with me. And most of all, I hope you all enjoy! ;) And for those of you following my other stories, I am working on them both and they will be updated soon. Thank You all for reading! 3 kNOrdinarylauren **_

Derek and Christina were already headed towards Labor and Delivery with Meredith and baby Greyson. Even though they were a little late for the labor and delivery part of it all they still had to get them both checked out and then get them both checked into a room together for the remainder of their stay.

Jo and Alex were still sitting in the small room underground together.

They knew there was probably a lot of commotion and confusion going on outside of that room and that Christina was probably trying to explain what she could to Owen about the entire situation and that he along with everyone else was probably freaking out.

Just the fact alone that Meredith had just come out of a hidden hole with a baby, yep, they knew that it was definitely a chaotic scene up there and that was another reason they stayed exactly where they were.

But they also knew that Owen would have the cops down there after Peckwell soon so they knew they would inevitably have to face it all.

Jo was in pretty rough shape but she was just ready to get this all over with and have Peckwell out of her life forever. She wanted to give her statement to the cops and be done with it.

Alex was rather concerned about her but he understood it. And he only thought he knew now that she was the toughest chick he had ever and probably would ever meet. And yet despite the blood and bruises that she had gotten throughout the day, he had still never seen her look more beautiful.

So he just sat there holding her in his arms and just like he already figured, he didn't want to ever let her go.

Even though there were plenty of words now to describe this day, they needed no words to explain it to themselves or to each other at all.

They were here. They were together. And after everything that had happened, they made it through it together. They had survived it all together and end it the end, it ultimately brought them together.

They knew they would have to eventually talk about the day and eventually get up and move from that room. But they both just sat there for the moment feeling just so content wrapped in each other's arms.

"You're okay" Alex finally spoke up as he was caressing her face. It wasn't a question though, it was a statement.

He looked her in the eyes and had such a feeling that he couldn't even explain it if he tried. He was just so awe struck.

He could not believe that she ultimately had saved herself and Meredith and Greyson too. She was a survivor and he now knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his days not only living, but when it came down to it, surviving what they had to together, always.

"I'm okay" she stated back while looking into his eyes. She knew that she could and would spend the rest of her life looking into those eyes.

So she reassured him again "I am more than okay" And when she said it he knew still without even knowing everything yet that she was in fact better than she had ever been in her entire life.

The cops then arrived and Jo gave them her statement as Alex stood there holding her hand. He could not believe she had been through all that alone today and he didn't even have to hear all the little details that he already knew that she was purposely keeping from the cops.

Jo wasn't lying. He just knew she wasn't telling the whole truth by going into the details about Peckwell's violence. She was just stating the facts of everything that had occurred between them throughout the day.

About how it started in the on-call room, then how Peckwell harassed her and Meredith again in the O.R, then how he managed to play a game with her and everyone else at the nurses' station, and what led up to her being there now.

Ultimately it was just her admitting that Peckwell had in fact harassed her and was possibly attempting to kidnap her.

It was all the basis of what was about to lead them to arrest an unconscious Peckwell.

And although Alex knew he would soon find the details out because he was going to make sure of it, he also knew that all the cops really needed to know was that he did attack her and then try to do whatever it was he was going to do with her. So all they needed to really hear were the words attack and kidnap and the cops listened in intently.

But he and the cops both still didn't know how she and Meredith had managed to get away from Peckwell let alone render him unconscious.

So when he started to hear Jo tell the cops about how she and Meredith had tricked Peckwell into believing that they needed his help because Meredith was in labor and that she told him the things that she had to so that he would believe her and open the door, Alex almost wanted to be sick.

But then he actually became the farthest thing from being sick. He was more in love than what he had thought before as he continued listening to her.

She told them about how she thought for sure that Peckwell would believe her story about going away with him. She said she and Meredith were both just so desperate to get out of there.

But Jo admitted that she would have never really actually took the chance if she hadn't known for sure that Peckwell was going to try and may even possibly succeed in killing Meredith and the baby before anyone had a chance to find them.

She told them she would have done whatever it took to save Meredith and she admitted to the cops also that she had been scared all along about the stress the situation had to have been causing the baby. And that's when she told them why she knew she couldn't wait for anyone any longer.

Story or no story and whether Peckwell believed her or not, she said she knew that Peckwell wanted Meredith dead and that she would never allow that to happen.

So she took the chance of letting him in and at least having the upper hand from the start.

She told the cops how when she opened the door Peckwell headed straight towards Meredith who was in plan on the floor screaming and pretending to be in labor.

She told them how she was hidden in the shadows of the dark behind the door and so when Peckwell came in and headed towards Meredith first without even looking for her she didn't hesitate because even though she knew, she knew for damn sure then that she had been right.

So she instantly and quickly snuck up behind him and cold clocked him with a rusty metal bar causing him to fall unconscious immediately.

She told the cops it was then that they were going to make their escape to not only freedom but the bathroom as well when Meredith's water suddenly broke and that she did in fact go into labor and that that's upon which he and Derek had made their arrival.

Alex could in fact now believe all of it. And he believed nothing more than the fact that his person was indeed a "Bad Ass Chick!" She was his "Bad Ass Chick" at that.

The cops told then told Jo that they would contact her with any more questions seeing how she needed to get checked out by a Doctor. And then they removed a still unconscious Peckwell out to a nearby waiting ambulance. He was going to get treated at another hospital and then they would charge him with his accounts.

Alex scooped Jo up in his arms and was making his way through the dark hall to take her and get her checked out.

She knew that she was in a lot of pain but she still asked him for one thing before they made their way back into the hospital.

"Alex, wait! Before we go back out there, I need to get at least one breath of fresh air. I have to." She asked simply.

He understood it completely because if he were going to have it his way, which he would. He knew that Jo would probably be in the hospital overnight.

Jo then asked him to turn around because she wanted to see what was out the door she had attempted to get out of the first time.

Alex never even made it that far down the hall but he knew Jo needed this so he decided that even though he didn't know what was behind it, he would carry her through it.

They reached the door. And before he opened it Jo spoke up and simply told him "Alex, I have to walk out this door."

Without fully understanding what it meant to her, he still understood it. So Alex set her to her feet and held onto her hand. He then opened the door and neither could believe what they saw.

It was what they knew was some kind now old and untaken care of small little greenhouse.

They realized now why such little light had been seen through the hidden door in the first place because the door was on the back of the four walls that they were now surrounded by and from the inside of the greenhouse the door could not be seen at all.

They were surrounded by four tempered glass walls that only allowed light to shine in for the plants. But they knew that this area of the hospital was no longer being cared for because unlike the flowers and bushes that surrounded most of the hospital, all the plants in the greenhouse room were completely dead.

They didn't know for sure if the landscaper of the green house had ever even known that the hidden door was there because from everything they had seen in the hall and back in the room. None of it seemed to be any kind of landscapers resort at all.

So really all they could do was assume. Neither knew if they would ever really know the story of what the hidden door had been meant for and they left it at maybe they were never supposed to know.

They didn't know why they never knew saw the little greenhouse from the outside before though and so they didn't even know exactly where it was on the outside of the hospital. They both wondered though, especially Alex, because as long as he had worked there, he couldn't believe he had never seen it before.

So when they walked out of the small greenhouse room they saw that they were surrounded by an open field and they both knew immediately that they were at the back of the hospital.

The back of the hospital beyond the field that actually did already know about were only woods. And they had always known that so they then knew that's why they never knew about the greenhouse because they had never been to that particular area.

Neither of them had ever had to. They didn't know if anyone ever had to go back there considering the greenhouse was no unkempt and they had never heard anyone say anything about it before. They didn't know who was supposed to care for it or why they weren't anymore.

But the unexpected greenhouse was the last thing on either of their minds anymore and neither wanted to think about what might have happened if Peckwell had actually made it out of the hospital with Jo.

They both still just looked at it all as "Destiny!" They both were just thankful that they were there now standing right there with each other.

The wind blew slightly causing a cool breeze and Alex wrapped his arms around Jo as she took in what she knew was the first real breath that she had ever inhaled.

It was freedom not only from the day's events but she was letting go of everything that had ever held her back. Every negative thought she had ever thought. She was simply taking the first breath of her life and starting fresh just as Greyson had just done actually for the first time.

They just stood there taking in the moment. Jo's deeply inhaled breaths were soon taken away because Alex grabbed her by the face and pulled her close to him. He looked her straight in the eyes and smiled and he then pulled her even closer and met her lips with his.

He kissed her and neither could have told anyone how long they'd been standing there because their kiss was so passionate that neither of them wanted it to end.

When Alex did finally pull away Jo simply looked him in the eyes and smiled.

They both knew without saying that that kissed had been well worth the wait and that they definitely never wanted to never have to wait on it again.

But they knew that they could kiss each other now whenever they wanted forever just as they wanted and the look in their eyes told the other that they both meant it with all their heart.

Alex then swept Jo up in his arms and they made their way back into the hospital.

Jo still kept insisting she was fine but Alex knew that he wasn't settling on that. He could tell by the way she had carried herself that she was in pain and now that she was in his arms again and he could also feel the tenseness of her body.

They were making their way to Jo's room that Alex knew without knowing was waiting on them. And it was then when of course everyone started surrounding them.

Everyone mostly wanted to know that Jo was okay and some of them wanted to let her know that they were sorry as well. Not only for all the rumors but for everything that had happened. But even though Alex knew a few of them did care about her, he knew the rest were just being nosey so they could run their mouths, so he told them all to back the hell off.

Jo didn't need any apologies from the ones she cared about though. And she didn't really care about any of the rumors that the ones that didn't care about her would spread. But she really wished that Peckwell wasn't the reason behind any of it. That was the one thing she didn't want to reminisce to anyone about ever and she knew that was the one thing that everyone would want to ask about.

She knew that Alex was only trying to help her to not to have to talk about it or explain any of it and although she knew that she would probably eventually have to, she really didn't want to do any of it now so she didn't stop Alex from telling everyone to back off.

She gave him a reassuring look that she was okay and a look that he knew she was conveying that said they were only prolonging the inevitable either way. And he could tell by the way she was looking at him that she didn't want him to be mean about it either way because there was nothing he could do to change it.

But Alex still wanted her to have some time and he was still focused on getting her checked out so he told everyone in a much nicer way that Jo would tell them what she wanted when she wanted after he got her settled in and taken care of.

He made his way into room that had been waiting on them and he shut the doors and the blinds behind them. He gently placed Jo on the bed and started to help her remove her clothes so he could get her into a hospital gown and check her for any serious injuries.

Jo was trying not to flinch but he knew she was really in a lot of pain. Underneath the scrubs she had on were multiple scratches all over her body and many of them were surrounded by blood. And she had even more swollen bruises that had formed and were still forming all over her.

He couldn't believe that she had managed to physically walk herself out that door but he knew how stubborn and more than that how determined she had been to get some fresh air. He was almost in a state of shock by seeing her now though.

Jo was just so strong willed that her face didn't show any sign at all to Alex how he knew she actually had to have been feeling.

Looking at her face he couldn't tell she was injured at all besides the small scratch she had got in the elevator with him earlier. Peckwell knew exactly what he had been doing because besides from a few blood smears that were wiped there by probably Jo herself, there wasn't another visible marking on her face.

Alex got her down to her undergarments and he thought about just helping her into the gown. But he clearly saw what Jo was thinking and that was that she wanted to burn every piece of clothing that she had been in that day. So without any words, he then removed the rest of her clothing.

He then helped her into her gown and then laid her down on the bed and went to grab a cloth. He wet it and came back to her side and gently started wiping away all the blood around her wounds all the while gently soothing her by looking at her so she looked at him and not at the blood he was trying to wash away.

Jo didn't really want to see herself. Although she knew that in the end she came out on-top of this day, she was still ready for all Peckwell's painful reminders to be gone.

Alex still had a look of worry in his eyes and she could see it so she reassured him once again that she was fine.

He was not the official Dr. on Jo's case but he knew there was no way in hell he or anyone else for that matter was going to let her leave there tonight and although Jo was more than ready to go already she knew that she couldn't argue with him.

Alex wanted Bailey to be Jo's Dr. One reason being she was a woman and the other being that he knew she wouldn't go and blab Jo's business to everybody.

Bailey arrived and Alex told her that Jo did not sustain any life threatening injuries from what he had seen already but he knew he still had to let her finish what he had started. So Jo lay there on the bed while Bailey inspected each of her wounds.

Alex and Bailey both knew she had to have been in a lot of pain and Jo was refusing any pain meds at first but now that she had been laying there for a minute trying to relax she realized she couldn't.

Jo then looked at Alex and he could tell exactly what she was thinking. She needed drugs. Bailey was going to acknowledge her requests but she had to first ask Jo the routine questions.

So Bailey then had to ask what Alex had not yet. He had wanted to so bad and at the same time he wished he would never have to know. He knew he was probably about to get angry.

Bailey knew it would be rough on them both but it had to be asked so she got straight to the point "Tell me about every incident in which you sustained any injury today."

Jo got nauseous just thinking about it but she knew they had to know and more than that she knew they would not let her keep it to herself.

So she started "Well there was this morning on the elevator with Alex. We got shook around pretty hard and my head decided to say hello to the wall." Jo was actually trying to make light of the conversation not knowing how exactly Alex would react to it all.

She hated that she had to say the next part especially because she knew what she was about to say next "After that Peckwell took me into the on-call room."

Alex immediately cut her off though and asked "He took you?" He knew what Christina had said earlier about seeing Peckwell drag her off and he knew that counted as an incident because he saw how bruised her wrists were now and if she did have a fracture then they needed to know how long ago that it particularly started.

They were Doctor's! Jo knew they needed to know every detail but she was just so concerned with Alex.

Bailey shot him a look as if she was about to kick him out of that room in order to get all the details from Jo.

And Alex knew it but he knew that there was no way in hell he was leaving her side so he looked at Jo and told her "It's okay. Don't be scared because of me. I'm here for you and I'm not going anywhere. This all stays between us. We have to know, Jo. We…I…need to know. Tell me everything, please. And then we never have to talk about it again if you don't want to" He said while looking sincerely deep into her eyes.

And he meant the "I" part with all his heart. He had to know now. Besides not knowing if she was internally hurt physically but the main reason being so that he could be there for her and help her forget about it all. He knew that wouldn't happen if she kept it to herself while hurting internally emotionally.

Jo just looked at him and said simply "Okay" She trusted Alex more than anything and she was just so ready to get this part of it out of the way.

The good that came out of this day was a must that she knew she was going to display every day from here on out. But the deep down just violent parts of her day, she never wanted to discuss again.

But she knew she had to. And this was the first and only time she was going to ever repeat any of it.

So she continued "Peckwell grabbed me by the wrist… and he pulled me into an on call room…He never let his hold on me go and he shut the door and pulled me towards it and quickly shoved me up against it…It was so fast…I don't think I hit my head that hard but it was all just happening even faster after that and he had me by the arms… and I was begging him to stop…and…"

Then Jo started to look away but Alex wouldn't let her.

She thought he would be ashamed of her for not getting help as soon as it happened but he didn't feel that way at all. He knew that she would have had a plan to take care of it just as she did and he was about to find out that she had in fact did way more than what he knew.

So then Jo looked back at them and continued "He wouldn't listen to anything I said he just said what he wanted to say as he grabbed me by the hair and threw me across the room…I landed against the rail of the bed in the on call room but I hit my back… not my head so it wasn't that bad." She tried insisting when she saw the worried look Alex and Bailey both tried to hide from their faces.

She kept going through though wanting to get this all over with "He walked over to me calmly but he just stood above me and then he kicked me a few times."

She saw Alex was about to ask so she fixed what she had just said before he could tell her to so she defined it as much as she didn't want to.

"He kicked me twice in the stomach and when I moved he then got one kick that hit my right hip and another one that got my right thigh. I was begging him to stop and then he suddenly did and instantly started apologizing. I actually told him that it…well and that…I was okay… so then he left."

Jo was then going to start about what had happened at the nurses' station with Peckwell but Alex cut her off once again and told Bailey

"And before what she's about to tell you, I found her in what her almost passing out trying to use the wall to keep herself from what looked like almost passing out and well…it kind of became intense."

Jo hated to be reminded of that too. She was going to completely skip over it considering she didn't get hurt but Alex considered it differently and asked her to tell how she had felt before he approached her wanting to determine what kind of damage that Peckwell had first caused.

So Jo then told them "I was trying to make it out the door and somewhere in mid stride, my legs got weak, I started to feel nauseous, and my vision got blurry. I couldn't think straight at all really so I just leaned against the wall to try and catch my breath."

She explained how she was just so focused on those doors when her body just suddenly gave up. And that's when Alex stepped in and told Bailey how he grabbed her from behind trying to help her and how he couldn't get her to focus on him or anything at all.

Bailey just nodded and took notes and Jo was actually glad that she didn't have to explain that part. She knew Alex was just concerned with all the effects that the day had caused on her. And so she just give him a reassuring look that she was okay and he give her one back letting her know it was all okay and so she continued.

"I knew I had to get myself cleaned up after that so I was making my way to do so when Peckwell spotted me. He came up to me trying to put on a fake show pretending as if nothing ever happened but I figured he wouldn't dare harass me in public so since the opportunity was there. I took it and told him I wanted to be left alone…and for good. I knew that someone would show up at any moment and I just wanted it all to be over with so I told him…and when he realized I wasn't joking he then grabbed me by the arms and shoved me against the nurses' station. There was no one around. I couldn't believe it. I was trying to get him off of me but he still wouldn't listen to anything I was trying to say and he kept telling me he had something for me. So I tried telling myself that maybe if I played along that someone would eventually show up and that I could possibly be able to just walk away. I was just…scared. I didn't know what to do."

Alex give her hand a squeeze and she was trying to fight back the tears but she dried them up quickly knowing that Peckwell was not going to get the best of her now.

So she continued "I'm not even sure how it all happened. He handed me a vase of flowers and I guess he could tell I wasn't happy with them by the look on my face when I opened his stupid card because he then started screaming at me. He was saying horrible things about me and just everything period and that's when of all moments everyone started to appear and it looked as if we were just arguing. So he went to what I didn't know then, was to apologize to me in front of everybody, and he reached for me and it scared me. I dropped the flowers in the process and everyone was just standing there staring at me. They didn't know what to think. They thought Peckwell was the broken hearted boyfriend. I was just so confused. I couldn't make sense of anything. Everyone was just staring waiting on me to say or do anything I guess. But I didn't care about explaining any of it to anybody but… I just…I wanted to run so I tried and my feet wouldn't move and that's the last thing I remember."

Alex and Bailey both knew what happened after that. And so did she but she just didn't remember anything exactly after until she came to in the linen closet.

Alex wasn't prepared for what he was about to hear next though.

She continued "The next thing I remember I was laying on the floor in what I only thought felt like the smallest room ever. Peckwell…" she stopped for a second but they were both waiting on her to finish so she knew she still just had to get it over with.

"He was so close to me…he was just too close…and then he started trying to touch me all over…he was trying to take off my pants…but I…I never gave him the chance. I started crying and screaming trying to fight him off. And I managed to get a few good something's in because I wrestled my way to my feet. He twisted both my arms behind my back and tried shoving me against the wall. I head butted him in the nose and he released his grip. That's all I really remember. I was just trying to find a way out. I was so scared. And I felt him grab me and I was fighting for my life and then nothing…I didn't remember anything until I came to in the dark hall."

Jo was scared to see the look on Alex's face when she said what Peckwell had been trying to do to her in that closet. He just looked startled though and she knew it was better than angry or even sad.

Alex thought for a second and it hit him instantly and it did in fact startle him. He knew what Peckwell had planned to do until Jo fought back for her life and which in the process of the shelf got knocked over and Peckwell found the door. But if he hadn't Peckwell was going to use her and then probably run like hell not only out of the hospital but, knowing Alex would be after him, probably the state. The thought had rage coursing throughout him that he didn't know existed but he knew he had to keep a calm face for Jo.

So he continued listening to her say "I came to and it was so dark. All I could see is a light that had been reflecting from down at the very end of the hall. As we got closer I just knew it was a door and the last thing I was ever going to let happen was Peckwell walk me out that door."

Alex then got why she had wanted to walk herself out that same door earlier. He admired it and he totally admired her even more what he heard her say next

"So I jabbed him in the eye with my name-tag because it's all I could get a hold of." She told them and while Bailey had a look of amusement like she had now in fact heard it all. Alex had a look on his face that said I'm so marrying you because you're the most bad ass chick I have ever met.

"He dropped me instantly and I fell to the ground. I landed on my tailbone and I used my arms to catch my fall but I knew I had to get up so I did and I was just about to open that door when I heard Meredith warning me to look out and so I did. But Peckwell managed to grab ahold of me and was trying his best to overpower me. He had ahold of my arms and was bringing me towards him. We were both fighting and struggling so I took my chance to kick him straight in the nuts with my knee as hard as I could and ran like hell to where I found Meredith calling me to come with her into the hidden room. That's it! That's everything. I had it all under control after that." She then spit out as fast as she could almost breathlessly. She was glad that she said it. It was out. And it was over.

Alex just looked at her and said "You had it all under control the whole day. You are so awesome. Did you know that? You are so freaking awesome."

Jo couldn't believe it she thought for sure he might have said she should have at least done one thing different throughout that entire day but he didn't. He was actually astonished by her for the way she handled it all.

Alex then looked at her and smiled and placed a kissed on her forehead. Bailey then finished the notes she had been taking, threw the clipboard at Alex, and said you can write while I finish checking the extent on any of her injuries out. She made Alex write because he wouldn't let a single nurse in the room and so they still had to do Jo's medical history questionnaire.

Bailey started asking Jo routine questions like previous surgeries, last yearly exam, last menstrual cycle as she feeling around her stomach and arms for any tender areas, fractures, or possibly even any breaks that Jo may have just sub consciously ignored.

Jo was actually relieved though. This was the easy part. She could answer questions about her previous health rather easily all considering and so she spit out the answers until she heard the one she hadn't thought about until then because she all of a sudden couldn't find any words to say.

It's not that she cared she just didn't see this as being the way Alex would find out she was a virgin so when she heard Bailey ask her "Date of last sexual intercourse" so casually as if she was hoping to make it as comfortable for her as possible already knowing without knowing that it was awkward for all three of them, Jo had actually thought about lying.

She didn't even know if Alex would believe her. He would probably laugh she thought quickly as he was still looking down at the clipboard when she heard him speak up and say as casually as possible considering they were in front of Bailey "There's never been a date. Next question"

Jo couldn't believe it. She looked at him and he looked at her giving her only a reassuring smile and then he went back to writing the rest of the answers to the next questions.

But still she wondered, how did he possibly know that? But she didn't care to wonder anymore really because all she knew was that he believed her and she didn't even have to say it. So she went on with answering the rest of her questions.

Bailey finally finished her check up on Jo and made her way to out to get her some meds and a few other things for her and Alex as well. And it went and she went without saying to Alex that she'd make sure everyone was keeping their damn mouths shut about anything and everything.

People were of course going to talk but Bailey wasn't about to hear any of it or let herself hear someone else hear of it either and that was a damn fact.

Alex just sat there staring at Jo straight in the eyes. He was in love with her now more than he ever thought possible and he knew without her saying that she felt exactly the same way.

Bailey came back in with Jo's stuff and Alex took it all from her and reassured her he had it all under control until morning. Bailey knew that was cue not to come back until morning rounds and so she left.

Alex then walked back over to Jo and helped her with a drink while she insisted she didn't need it. But he helped her anyway while letting out a chuckle. He knew she was definitely his person. He could see the rest of his life with her. They were so different but they were exactly the same and he loved everything about it and everything about her.

Jo heard him chuckle and she knew that it was a, although you don't want my help your still going to get it, kind of chuckle she couldn't help but chuckle too.

After the whole damn day they were able to chuckle about it. Jo knew she loved Alex more than anything and that he was in fact her true love that she had been waiting on her entire life. She loved everything about him. She knew the heart that was within what most people thought was just a complete bad attitude. And she knew that this was already the start of a whole new life and better yet outlook on life for both of them.

She loved him with every ounce of her being and she knew that he felt the same. And it felt so damn un-describable but of course in the best way possible. She had now found the person she had been waiting on her entire life.

So Jo instinctively pulled back the covers and Alex instinctively joined in beside her and wrapped his arms around her. And after this oh so long day both were about to sleep more contently than they had their entire lives.

Everything went without saying. They were in love. They needed no more explanations. The day was done. It was over. They never had to speak any of it that they didn't want to ever again.

Alex placed another gentle kiss upon her lips and they stared at each other as long as they could before Jo's eyes started to feel heavy. She really was tired so when Alex smiled at her and whispered the simple words she never thought she would actually here after what was such an unexpected day, she still couldn't help but smile.

He whispered simply "Good Night" leaned in and placed a soft kiss upon her lips and she closed her eyes and started to drift to sleep.

AND so she thought…


	13. Chapter 13

…AND so she thought

All day long she kept thinking that this was the worst damn day of her life but it led up to it becoming the best damn day of her life.

Jo knew finally, without a doubt in her mind, that she believed in everything right now. There was no more confusion. There were no more questions. She knew that it all had brought her exactly to her current moment.

There was and is a reason for everything she told herself and well here she was.

She had actually ended up figuring out not only the day but her entire life in what was still just that one day. In just one day, she told herself still half convincing herself but she knew her heart was not lying and she knew exactly how she felt. So she went with her heart and fully tried to understand it all.

She had been beyond ready for much longer than just today to figure out exactly who she was and where she belonged so now she was really more than thankful because things had ultimately led her exactly where she was meant to be.

This one day had actually defined her in the best way possible.

She was going to learn from it and take from it for the rest of her life. This was in fact just "one day" and it had changed her entire perspective on others' life and most importantly her on life.

And she knew there were going to be more days whether they were good days or bad.

And so then she knew.

She knew that she had in fact spent too many years letting her past make her un-happy.

She had set her mind to it and did exactly what she wanted to do within her life. She became a Doctor so that she could help people. But she had never set her heart to learn how to allow herself to accept not only her own faults, but others' faults, and the World's faults' as well so that she could be exactly who and what she wanted to be. And that was only ever to really be happy.

And after questioning, wondering, doubting, worrying, and not truly believing in her on self all day. She now knew that she was in fact never supposed to make it out those doors.

She would have probably lost herself more trying to make sense out of something she hadn't understood at all instead of figuring it all out like she now had.

This was all a part of her story and this was just another part of the always unexpected.

Although she had told herself all day after getting away from Peckwell the first time that she knew there was no way in hell she would allow him to ever physically or emotionally bring anyone else down with his bad. She didn't speak up at first and so then came all the unexpected right along within it.

Jo knew she was beyond blessed that Meredith had been there from the very beginning trying to get her to open up. And yet still she ran around trying and hoping to maybe forget, being scared, confused, and most of all just wanting to figure out if she would ever be able to just simply be happy.

Jo knew she needed someone and although she had only wanted a little time to figure out all the craziness. Inside she knew that she had still hoped that a guy, Alex that was, would come around and save her and sweep her off her feet. That's how it was supposed to go, she thought.

Although she had been pissed and hurt all day, she hoped all along that Alex would find her, they'd work it out, and that they'd be happy together.

But even then they would have only worked the day out and even though she knew she would have been happy with him just as she is now, she wouldn't have been as happy with herself. Then and possibly forever!

She knew she would have eventually spoken up about Peckwell but she still didn't know who she was or who she could trust in those exact moments and even though she sees now that she did have Meredith, she knew that everything happened why and how it did for a reason that was known only as "Destiny."

She now knew she had been waiting on a best friend, a girlfriend at that. She knew she needed and wanted someone who actually did understand not only her but women and relationships and someone who would just simply be there for her always no matter what. She never had a female figure to look up to and she didn't know what it was like until now and so she was thankful to have found Meredith.

From the beginning until the end, she never gave up on her, which ultimately helped her figure out to not give up on herself. She had saved herself and then Meredith too who was just down there to help save her so in the end she knew ultimately they had saved each other.

Jo then promised herself that she would do the same. She would help those who were lost and just needed reassurance that someone out there could relate and would in fact stick by their side and never give up on them no matter what.

Anything differently could have changed everything and she kept telling and telling herself that over and over again.

If Meredith would have given up on her when she first ran away, who would've known what would have happened if Peckwell would have made out those doors with her. No one would have known where to look for her and she didn't really want to think about what probably would have happened to her if he actually had.

That would have been her story and that would have been the end of it. Everything she had been through in her life would have been for nothing. Only so that a no-good low-life could have finished it off for her and then she would be just some random story that most people would have took nothing out of except for the fact that she was just another girl with another story who got involved and never got out of the wrong relationship.

And who knows what would have happened to Peckwell. Yes, the cops might have found him and arrested him but who knows what story that he or anyone else would end up making out of this. No one ever knew that he had physically abused her so even though he was the last one seen with her. And the last time anyone saw him, he was playing the hero.

She already knew how many mind games he played in just one day so really who knew what the justice system would think. With her past track record and with all the confusion going on in the hospital for all she knew they might not have ever found her, her body, or any answers.

She would have simply been a cold case. Who knew what who would think? She didn't know what exactly to think. She knew how crazy the World they all lived in actually was.

And once she was underground she hadn't even known Meredith was down there but she had remembered all the positive words she had spoken to her throughout the day.

That's when she gathered up every ounce of strength and energy that she had ever had and used her on name-tag to save her life. Everything she had ever set out to accomplish proved it by having her name Jo Wilson right there on it in clearly print words.

She was an independent woman who had come out of her past on-top who had been surviving the unexpected her entire life.

And although Peckwell had the same name-tag, his represented himself and who he was.

She then realized what she had never learned to accept and that was that everyone had their own stories but it was how they chose to write it that truly mattered. No one was born evil and everyone had a past, some good and some bad! But no matter what anyone had ever been through it was ultimately up to them how they chose to take their experiences and most importantly the unexpected and choose what to make of it.

Life was short and defeating the unexpected while still continuing to have faith, be happy, knowing that God had a purpose for everything was one of the greatest blessings. No one was ever supposed to know what to expect because then there would be no point of living if everyone already knew and they didn't have to figure it out along the way all the while finding the persons' that are meant to be in their life along the way too.

And those are the persons' that matter most and because they will always be there no matter what.

And that's when it hit Jo. She now really understood exactly what Meredith's Mom had been talking about too.

And that was knowing that those who woke up with one goal and one goal only;

To do what they wanted to, and become what they wanted to, all the while walking throughout life treating people as if they didn't matter only really trying to try and make their own self feel better, so they could do what they wanted was rather easy.

Anyone could do that and it was so oh ordinary in this World.

And it was exactly just that. "Ordinary!"

But for those who woke up and were able to live life;

Taking what they knew, what they know, and everything that they would come to know along the way living life to the fullest doing not only what they wanted and needed but ultimately being exactly who they wanted and needed.

And most importantly doing it all the while embracing the people that they have known, knew now, and would come to know with nothing but happiness because that's how they wanted to live and more importantly because that's how they wanted other's to live.

Was in fact the most extraordinary life one could live in this oh so ordinary World.

And she felt exactly that now. "Extraordinary!"

Jo now knew exactly who she was now, she knew exactly where she came from, and she knew exactly where and how she wanted to be forever. And that was with her persons' living nothing but a happy life while helping others to live an extraordinary life too.

And she knew that her person who was beside her now was exactly one of the persons' she wanted to experience it all with.

Alex then squeezed her a little tighter and she simply drifted off to sleep.

(1 ½ days later)

Alex had managed to keep Jo in her hospital bed for almost an entire two days. She looked much better and she felt ten times better than what she would have ever actually admitted because she had been ready to get up and move the day before but Alex never gave her time to. Not that he was always going to be that clingy, he just knew she was stubborn, and he really wanted her to allow her body itself time to heal.

Jo's complexion was absolutely beautiful to Alex as he sat there watching her glow as she spoke about how she was ready to get back to work and about surgeries that she was ready to watch and most of all, scrub in on. And about how she was just simply ready to be her crazy normal now that she understood her crazy normal.

Even though he knew with a doubt that she was having simply a serious conversation he couldn't help but smile and almost laugh at her just simply being herself. She had actually not only survived that day but she wasn't letting any of the bad get the best of her. She was only letting the good get the best of her and he could see that because she then stopped talking and looked at him smiling asking simply "What?" as if she didn't even know.

That she was absolutely beautiful. That she was his everything. That her glow made him glow. And that he absolutely loved the feeling of it. And that he never wanted to lose that feeling.

And it was exactly that. She didn't know.

He still hadn't told her.

And so it was in that moment he knew what he had to do.

Jo then let out a yawn so Alex took the opportunity to advise her to get in one last bit of rest and so he told her "Bailey will probably be a couple of hours before she rounds with the discharge papers so why don't you get some rest so I can go check on some things before we head home."

She didn't even take the time to argue about needing rest. One; because she really was still tired, Two; because she really wanted Alex to break away from what she knew was probably either because he was scared and possibly even thinking that he thought maybe she was scared for him to leave her side, and Three; because he said the words home.

When she woke up they would be going home and she couldn't wait.

He had a home. She had a home. They had a home together.

And so she simply smiled and said okay as Alex placed an even gentler kiss upon her lips. But she never took her eyes off of him as he looked at her the entire time he was backing his way towards the door.

And then she heard him say "close your eyes princess" and so she did.

Jo woke a couple hours later and when she opened her eyes Alex had sure enough returned and was just going over her discharge papers that Bailey had obviously dropped off while she had been snoozing away.

"You just need to sign a few forms and were good to go" Alex said now smiling at her realizing that they were in fact about to get to go home.

Jo smiled back at him. She was more than ready to go so she let out a big yawn and started to get herself all ready to leave but she knew that she had one more stop to make before they actually left the hospital.

She wasn't sure what Alex would say but she knew she felt fine and more importantly she looked fine so she knew she had to go see him and she knew she was going to and so she asked Alex "Can we make one stop before we get out of here?"

Alex knew that he was right before he ever even knew that he was actually going to be right. He knew exactly what stop she wanted to make.

He knew Jo and he loved her. So he had already actually expected her to ask and had already thought all about it but he was just waiting for her to say the words.

He knew he would give it away if he brought it up first. And he was just so excited for what he knew she was about to hear that he knew his face might give something away.

So before she could say anything else Alex told her "Of course we can stop and see little Ben" he still replied with a smile on his face and he knew that she thought it was because he knew what was thinking.

"Thank You" she said with a smile too. It was actually a huge smile because she was excited to get to see him and because Alex did in fact know her so well.

"Are you ready" he then asked while making his way to grab her stuff.

"I'm more than ready" she said still smiling. She couldn't wait to get home and then more importantly to get back to work after that.

She was just so ready to simply begin living life.

"Let's go" he said as he grabbed her bag with one hand and her hand with the other.

They made their way down the hall without actually spotting anyone that Jo cared about seeing. She knew they would most likely run into somebody. So she at least hoped it would be one of her persons'.

She did want to talk to Stephanie and even Avery along with a few others she knew that would care to know that she was really okay.

And of course she wanted to see Meredith, baby Greyson, and even Christina but Alex had been right about wanting to get her home to relax some more because although she couldn't hardly wait to see them all, she really had no idea what she would say to any of them.

The last thing she wanted was to re-hash the bad that had happened with Peckwell. She just wanted them all to know that she was alive, well more than alive really, and that she prepared to come back to work to do what they all knew they were born to do.

Some people she knew didn't give a shit about her or the situation at all. She knew that there were some people that were probably talking shit about her from the bottom floor to the top.

She didn't really care what any one of them thought or said at all. She just wanted to be able to put everything about Peckwell in the past and she knew that wouldn't happen if people didn't stop talking about it.

There was nothing she could do about it though so for now she still just wanted to see little Ben and then get out of there for the night. And then when she came back to work she would just try and ignore whatever she heard the best that she could. And she guessed explain to those she wanted the best that she could as well.

Alex and Jo made their way into little Ben's room and his eyes lit up like Christmas morning.

"Dr. Jo" he shouted with his big voice. He could not contain his excitement.

"Little Ben. I heard that you are my Big Hero." She said with the biggest smile ever as she made her way over to his bed.

"Yes" little Ben said smiling but then he continued "Will I be your hero always cause I still wanna be after I leave here today."

"Of course" she started "You'll be my hero forever Ben. Wait…Today? You're leaving today?" She asked smiling. She knew he was serious. She could see it in his happy little face so she turned to look at Alex wondering why he hadn't told her yet.

Surely he would have brought her here whether she asked or not if he knew that little Ben was going to leave the hospital today.

Alex then told her while smiling the biggest smile ever "He's cancer free, Jo! We got it all! He gets to go home. His parents have all everything set up for his after care and well he's good to go."

Jo couldn't believe it. She felt the greatest feeling in the World knowing that she had in fact helped save this amazing little guy's life and then in which only by destiny he then in fact saved her life too. It was a feeling that was irreplaceable.

She then turned back to little Ben and told him "Looks like I'll have to talk to your Mommy and Daddy and tell them that our future play dates will just have to be at the park."

"Really…Really? He asked ecstatically and then he told her "I told Dr. Alex to make sure that you are never sad again so he will probably want to come too. So can me, you, and Dr. Alex all go to the park together?" little Ben then asked her not being able to control his excitement at all as he perked up in his bed immediately.

Jo just looked at him and smiled and said "Of course we can Ben."

And then she turned to look at Alex giving him a smile that he knew was meant just for him. But then she looked back to little Ben as he continued to speak.

"Dr. Jo, umm, I made another play because I knew only you could play it the bestest and I really want everyone to see it before I go home and I worked my super hardest on it."

Jo didn't know anything about the play but she knew there was no way that she could tell him no. She wasn't sure what to expect but she put her on feelings about everyone watching away because she knew this was just the first of the many more unexpected events to come that she wouldn't be prepared for.

She knew she had to do it so she smiled at him and said "You already know. Just tell me what I need to do."

Little Ben then told her what the play was about and Jo was a little shocked that he had in fact came up with such an idea but she knew kids and that they, and especially little Ben, had such creative imaginations so she was sure going to put on the best play she could for him.

But after everything that had just happened and happened already she figured she really should have known that he would have wanted to play heroes.

So Alex, Jo, and little Ben made their way out into the hall. And there were many people that had already gathered around to watch their play.

Jo didn't even know how any of them knew that the play was even going to take place but still she went with the unexpected.

This was just another part of it all. Jo recognized a few of her intern friends; Brooks, Shain, and even Leah but most of the people she hadn't a clue who they were but she knew they knew who she was by the way they were all watching her. But she didn't care and she didn't see anyone that she actually did want to see in the first place so she went on to do her part in the play anyway.

Alex started to get a little nervous about the plan when he saw her looking at all the gathering bystanders as they all looked at her and so he asked "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Jo took one look around at everybody and she didn't have a doubt in her mind. She didn't care what anyone said about her ever. She knew exactly who she was and exactly what she wanted to do. And that was put on the best play ever so she looked at him, smiled, and said "I'm sure!"

Alex just smiled at her. Oh, how he loved her more than anything. He had hoped more than anything that she would say that but deep down he'd never had a doubt.

And the play was just simply about super heroes and none the less. Jo and little Ben were super heroes and Alex was to come in as another super hero who was going to help them finish the bad guys off.

Jo and little Ben started the play with swords little Ben had made and little Ben did most the talking with his actual big voice as Jo went along with it all.

She was fighting off the imaginary bad guys' right along with him as he was just simply saying cute kid statements.

He was saying "Ah hah… And I got you now…You'll never defeat us." Just being a silly imaginative kid the entire time and Jo was rather enjoying it.

But Alex hadn't shown up yet and she didn't see him anywhere. She knew what little Ben had said. As soon as they started fighting off the bad guys Alex was supposed to come in as the third hero and help them finish them off so when he didn't she knew she couldn't just walk off so she and little Ben just continued on with the play.

It was what she heard next that stopped her right in her tracks. Little Ben once again made her day by saying to the imaginary bad guys.

"Dr. Jo is the bestest super hero ever. She could take down all you bad guys alone. She is unstoppable and she won't let you stand in her way. She will win no matter what ya big dummies."

She thought about telling him dummy wasn't a nice word but she used the excuse of not wanting to take the time to stop the play and so she just smiled and they both continued in destroying all the imaginary bad guys and then they were finished.

Everyone cheered but Jo still had no idea where Alex had went and then she finally saw him come out of nowhere but he was headed their way and she didn't know why he didn't look as clueless as she felt.

He was late for his part already and so when he arrived and continued with his original words he was supposed to have said in the play, she was more than just a little confused.

"I'm here to help save the day" he started but Jo just looked at him with an expression that said you see that it's already over. What the hell are you doing?

But everyone was staring and she knew she had to say something appropriate so she went with the truth.

"Well we saved ourselves already" she said smiling down at little Ben.

She had no idea why Alex had showed up after he was supposed to and yet still try and go along with his part. And she was about to ask him, not so loudly, what was going on?

And before she could he started to speak first, not so loudly, but directly towards her

"I know you both did already. Y'all both saved each other's lives today and so it doesn't surprise me y'all did it again."

Jo just smiled not really understanding the point of it then. But she went along with it because as confused as she was, it was in fact the truth.

And then came the seriously, seriously, seriously, unexpected.

Alex then took her by the hands, smiled down at little Ben, and then looked her into her eyes and started to tell her

"Jo! You are such an amazing woman. Everything about you is everything I want and need. You are so loyal, and kind-hearted, and I'm sure no one will ever make me laugh the way that you do.

And within that all, you're just so darn stubborn and independent and you challenge me in such a way that only you can considering you drive me absolutely crazy at the same time… but it's the greatest feeling ever.

And what you really drive me though is to not only become a better man but a better Dr. Your determination is unstoppable. You're passionate and you're relentless when it comes to giving up on something you believe in. And you have never stopped believing in yourself or me. I want to spend the rest of my life having you drive me crazy."

Alex then got down on one knee and he looked up at Jo staring straight into her beautiful eyes and said

"Jo Wilson. More than any words could ever really describe. I want you to know that I want us to spend the rest of our lives together BECAUSE I'VE FALLEN so in love with you that I'm not sure what I would do without you. I love you, Jo! You are the most extraordinary woman I have ever and will ever know. Will you please do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Jo never hesitated for one second. All she saw was the passion and the honesty coming from within the soul of the man she loved so she looked into Alex's eyes and she couldn't help but shout it out

"I love you too, Alex! Yes! Yes! I will marry you!"

Alex then "Alex fast" slipped the engagement ring on Jo's finger and stood up and pulled Jo in for the most passionate not so gentle kiss that either had ever experienced.

They heard everyone cheering around them so as Alex finished their kiss as Jo then looked around to see not only Christina, Derek, Stephanie, Avery, Meredith, and even Baby Greyson with huge smiles on their faces. But also almost half of the hospital staff who were all smiling just as big too.

She knew that when she came back to work that this would be all anyone wanted to talk about and it made her smile. She already knew without actually knowing that Alex had planned and done all of this for a reason.

He loved her and he didn't want having to put up with all the questions and questions that both knew everyone would inevitably just want to know. But she didn't have to explain anything to anyone. The play had done exactly that. She defeated the bad guy and came out on-top. End of story. It was as simple as that.

Alex had definitely left them with something to talk about and it made her smile even more.

Alex then took her by the hand. He knew that it was now time for them to go.

Jo told little Ben that he was the best super hero ever and that she couldn't wait for their play dates. And she looked over at her group of persons' and gave them a smile.

They each nodded and smiled Jo's way as she and Alex made their way out of the hospital. They all knew without words that she was in fact more than okay and that they would be seeing that smile everyday so they didn't need to know anything else.

Jo walked out of those hospital doors and she had in fact never felt more alive. After everything she already knew she still never imagined that life would or could possibly feel this amazing.

She had walked in that hospital as "Ordinary Dr. Jo Wilson" and she was leaving the hospital going to their home as the "Extraordinary future Dr. Jo Karev!"

Every bit of it all had been worth the wait!

"Life was in a fact EXTRAORDINARY!"


	14. Epilogue

Alex and Jo both stood there looking into each other's eyes as Jo was about to make her way down the aisle.

They knew that they without a doubt that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives growing old together and so they waited no time in planning and setting a date for their wedding.

It had been one Month since Alex had proposed and well here they were. Not that either would confess it to anyone else but Jo and Alex had decided that they wanted to wait until they were married until they made love and so they knew they wanted/had to get married as soon as they could.

And it was as soon as they wanted. They had a wonderful Month living together and although knew that they would have many ups and down, they knew that the Months they would spend together from here on out for the rest of their lives would certainly be the most fun and exhilarating they would ever experience.

It was such a short distance between them but neither couldn't help but think about it all; everything, every person, every expected, and every unexpected moment that they had learned from and overcome in their lives that had led them to this moment.

It was their wedding day and although there were no words that they could use to describe to someone how they felt, they both in fact had a million different words they could both use to describe to each other exactly how they felt.

They knew they would have a lifetime together and whatever was to happen along the way, they knew they loved each other and that's what mattered most. They would spend every day be as happy as they could.

They were just simply each other's persons. They were just simply meant to be. It was that easy. Not that the time in between hadn't been the hardest but now that they had each other and they knew that their whole lives had lead them exactly where they were supposed to be, with each other.

All of their persons were there. Meredith was Jo's Maid of Honor. Christina, Stephanie, and Bailey were all bridesmaids. Derek was Alex's Best Man. Owen and Avery was groomsmen. Zola was their flower girl and she was just the cutest little thing ever as she tried to maneuver her baby brother down the aisle in his stroller as the little ring bearer.

It was the perfect moment with all their persons.

Jo looked so vivacious and she simply took Alex's breath away. He could help but relish in the fact that he was about to marry his person, his woman, his bad ass chick, his crazy, his princess, his hobo Jo. She was who she was and he loved everything about her.

And the sight of little Ben walking her down the aisle gave him with a feeling that was unexplainable, irreplaceable, undeniable, un-mistakable, and without a doubt, it was the farthest thing from being scared.

And Alex wanted nothing more than to feel this way forever.

And Jo wanted nothing more than to feel this way forever.

Some people wait and they both had in fact waited their whole lives to feel this way.

He was her person.

She was his person.

They said their "I do's" and they had never meant any two simple words anymore in all their lives.

A few hours later as they joined hand and hand for their first dance as husband and wife they couldn't help but marvel in the fact that they were living the most extraordinary lives that they could possibly live with each other and with their persons.

Their persons alongside their persons joined them on the dance floor as they all simply laughed and danced it out. This was them. And they all knew that no matter what unexpected that was to come next, they had each other, and that's how they all expected to go through the unexpected. With each other!

None of them ever realized the extent of what their happiness would bring them because life was in a fact continuing to become only more "EXTRAORDINARY!"

Life was everything that they were making of it and were going to make of it. It was up to them. It was their stories. And they weren't going to let anything stop them from being happy.

000

_**Sometimes our expectations sell us short. Sometimes the expected simply pales in comparison to the unexpected. You've got to wonder why we cling to our expectations. Because the expected is just what keeps us steady, standing, still. The expected is just the beginning. The unexpected is what changes our lives. **_

_**That's how you stay alive, when it hurts so much you can't breathe, that's how you survive.**_

_**And when we wonder why it has to suck so much sometimes, has to hurt so bad, the thing we got to try to remember is that it can turn on a dime. ~GrEy'S AnAtOmY~**_

_Note from Me:_

Thank You all for reading. I'm sorry I didn't make it a huge wedding. I just wanted to keep the simplicity of the simple happiness that they deserved after what I put them through..lol ;) But I have a sequel in mind. And after all, we need a honeymoon right?! Let me know what y'all think.

**I WISH FOR YOU ALL NOTHING BUT AN EXTRAORDINARY LIFE FULL OF HAPPINESS LIVING ALONGSIDE YOUR PERSONS! No one should judge you because only you know your story! Take the time to get to know someone for they could be one of the persons you've been waiting on.**

I'm me and only me and Thank You all for getting to kNOrdinaryLauren! Much love to you all for the encouraging motivation throughout this story. I worked hard and I'm rather proud of myself for finishing it so I'm glad that I was able to make some of you smile.

It really is "What a World" and it gives me much faith in knowing that a complete stranger wants and cares enough to take the time to make my day with all the kind words and support. THANK YOU ALL!

"SERIOUSLY" ;)


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